Must-see
Hala Sultan Tekke
The main Muslim shrine of Cyprus and a place of pilgrimage
The story
Hala Sultan Tekke is a mosque, a mausoleum and a former dervish lodge, which is what tekke means in Turkish. It stands on the western shore of the Salt Lake, a few kilometers southwest of central Larnaca. According to tradition, Umm Haram is buried here. She was a relative or a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. She came to Cyprus with an Arab campaign in the mid-7th century and soon died after falling from a mule. The mausoleum over her grave was built under the Ottomans in the 18th century, and the mosque took its present form in the early 19th century. The Department of Antiquities calls this the main shrine of Muslim pilgrimage in Cyprus. The mosque is still in use today.
Hala Sultan Tekke is the main Muslim shrine of Cyprus, by the Salt Lake in Larnaca; according to tradition, Umm Haram is buried here. The official guide to Cyprus names the Hala Sultan mosque and the Church of Saint Lazarus as important shrines of Larnaca, one Muslim and one Christian.
Visiting
Free entry. According to the Department of Antiquities, it is open from 16 September to 15 April, 8:30 to 17:00, and from 16 April to 15 September, 8:30 to 19:30; hours may change. It is a working mosque, so modest clothing is needed. On major Muslim holidays the mosque may be closed to visitors.
On the way
Photos
Sources
- Department of Antiquities, Deputy Ministry of Culture — Hala Sultan Tekke
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Tentative List: Hala Sultan Tekke and the Larnaka Salt Lake Complex (submitted by Cyprus, 2016)
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism (visitcyprus.com) — Hala Sultan Tekke
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism — Official Guide to Cyprus 2026 (Greek)
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