St. Sophia Cathedral (now Selimiye mosque, Nicosia) First Pictorial Definitive Issue of the Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus

St. Sophia Cathedral (now Selimiye mosque, Nicosia) First Pictorial Definitive Issue of the Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus

Postage stamps--Cyprus--History

Γραμματόσημα--Κύπρος--Ιστορία

In 1209, Alice de Jerusalem-Champagne, Queen of Cyprus, laid the first stone of the splendid Cathedral of St. Sophia in Nicosia. The stamp depicts the splendour of the interior of the Cathedral, which was consecrated by Archbishop Giovanni del Conte Polo in 1326. Here the Lusignan princes were crowned kings of Cyprus. After Nicosia was taken by the forces of Lala Mustapha Pasha in 1570, St. Sophia was converted into a mosque and two minarets were added. One can still hear the muezzin intone the faithful to prayers five times a day. In the 17th century no Christian was allowed to enter the mosque. In 1954 the Mufti ( religious head of the Turkish population ) re-named the mosque "Selimiye" in honour of Sultan Selim II (1566-1574). In January 1974 H.R.H. the late Princess Margaret visited the mosque accompanied by the British High Commissioner and his wife. As all visitors to the mosque they had to take off their shoes and put on slippers at the entrance

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Library of Cyprus University of Technology

Digital Heritage Research Lab of Cyprus University of Technology

17th September 1962

Designer: A. Tassos

Απαγορεύεται η δημοσίευση ή αναπαραγωγή, ηλεκτρονική ή άλλη χωρίς τη γραπτή συγκατάθεση του δημιουργού.

www.cypruspost.gov.cy

TIFF

EL, EN

Image

1962C-15M

35.160417, 33.346556

Aspioti - Elka, Athens