LARNACA, Cyprus, 20 December 2005 — Nestled on the edge of a salt lake in southern Cyprus, one of Islam’s most important places of worship has been restored and now sits as a beacon of hope for the Mediterranean island’s ethnic division. The United Nations heralded the completion of renovation work at Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque at the end of a four-year project that brought together both Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots to achieve a common goal.
The mosque is the island’s most sacred monument for the mainly Muslim Turkish-Cypriot community but, ironically, the picture-postcard edifice lies in the Greek Orthodox south of the island. “This is not just a symbol of the past but a symbol of the future where Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots can come together,” said United Nations Development Program Manager Andrew Russell.
“This is about concrete lasting results that come about with positive intentions and goodwill when that is allowed to thrive,” he added, during a ceremony Friday to officially declare the restoration work complete.
The three-million-dollar project was financed by the United States Agency for International Development and the UNDP, which sponsors activities aimed at reconciling the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities divided by a UN-monitored cease-fire line.
“This is great testament to the commitment of Cypriots to the work done here,” said USAID’s Thomas Dailey. “There is a long history of the US government, UN and Cypriots working together and we are very proud of that collaboration,” he added. The ancient site is revered by Muslims worldwide because it reputedly contains the burial place of Umm Haram (Hala Sultan is the Turkish name). In 1760 Sheikh Hasan discovered Hala Sultan’s grave and began spreading the word about her and a tomb was built there.
The complex — comprising a mosque, mausoleum, minaret, cemetery and living quarters for men and women — was built in its present form while Cyprus was still under Ottoman rule and completed in around 1816. The buildings suffered extensive damage due to the “aggressive coastal environment coupled with the ravages of time, insect infestation and water penetration,” said the UNDP. A lack of proper maintenance over the years also contributed to the decay. An arsonist attempted to set fire to the mosque in 1999, causing minor damage.
“During the Ottoman period in Cyprus, Ottoman-flagged ships used to hang their flags at half mast when off the shores of Larnaca, and salute Hala Sultan with cannon shots,” said Turkish-Cypriot archaeologist Tuncer Bagiskan.
He said the Tekke was also significant for being the burial place of a spouse of a grandfather of the late King Hussein of Jordan who died in Cyprus in 1929. Sherifa Abbadiya was the wife of Sherif Hussein Ibn Ali.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the northern third of the island in response to an Athens-engineered coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
In tandem with the mosque renovation, the UNDP also launched a project to restore the church, main chapel and buildings of Apostolos Andreas Monastery, located in the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey.
Unfortunately, disagreement on how restoration work should proceed on the key Greek-Cypriot heritage site saw that project shelved as the deadline for when money was still available passed due to the impasse.
Nevertheless, the Tekke experiment has hopefully shown the way forward for future projects. “Let Hala Sultan be a permanent symbol of how the two communities can build a brighter future,” said Greek-Cypriot engineer Elias Karasselos, who worked on the mosque.
