Hala! Anybody there? by Trillian2005
The Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque (also known as the Mosque of Umm Haram) is the most important mosque in Larnaca. It was built (the mosque, not Larnaca) either in 647 C.E. or 649 C.E. The story associated with this mosque goes like this: Umm Haram, the wife of Ubada bin al-Samit, died during a raid on Cyprus organized by Muawiyah. She fell from her mule and died after breaking her neck during the siege of Larnaca. She was buried near the Larnaca Salt Lake and her grave became a sacred shrine. Hala Sultan (a.k.a. Umm Haram) was Prophet Muhammad?s nurse. This mosque named after her is located in a serene and picture perfect setting on the shores of the Larnaca Salt Lake.According to travel stories lost by travelers visiting Cyprus in 1683 and 1767, there was a tomb known as the "Old Woman?s Tomb". Both Muslims and Christians considered the tomb as a sacred place and therefore it attracted worshippers from both religions. The tomb was discovered by a dervish called Sheikh Hasan. People hearing the stories started to visit it because legend has it that the tomb's dolmen stones had healing powers, so people touched the stones and they were cured. Happy end!
Hala Sultan is the Turkish version of "Umm Haram". For Muslims, the Tekke is considered one of the most important sites (locations that is, not websites) after the Kaaba in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad?s tomb in Medina, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
