Mosque of Hala Saltan Tekke, Larnaca

4 more images

Hala Sultan Tekke / the Hala Sultan Mosque
is the 4th important mosque of the Muslims and the reason for this is the fact that Hala Sultan, the aunt of Prophet Mohammed, died there, when the Arabs conquered Cyprus in the year 647. She fell from her mule and was burried at this very spot and the mosque was built around the tomb.

4 more images

There are several interesting tombs inside the Hala Tekke Mosque, but the most important is the tomb of Hala Sultan, who was the aunt of the Prophet Mohammed :
In a sideroom of the mosque there is her sarcophag behind a green green curtain and an iron-fence, you can see it in my first 2 photos here.
The other pics are showing some other tombs that are inside the mosque, close to the tomb of Hala Sultan.

4 more images

The Hala Tekke Mosque is open for visitors and its interior is worth seeing as well.Of course I took off my shoes in front ofthe mosque. There is no entrancefee, but a lady was sitting there when I came and she entered the mosque togeather with me, gave some explanations and at the end she asked me for a donation to be put into the donation-box of the mosque.

1 more image

The Salt Lake and the Tekke is the first thing you look at upon reaching Larnaca.
Larnaca Salt Lake is located close to the Larnaca International Airport. In winter the water levels rise but in summer the lake is dry. From November until March it is home to flamingos.

HISTORY OF THE TEKKE

Hala Sultan Tekke or the Mosque of Umm Haram is a very prominent Muslim shrine near Larnaca, on the island of Cyprus. Umm Haram (Hala Sultan in the Turkish language) was the Islamic prophet Muhammad's wet nurse and the wife of Ubada bin al-Samit[citation needed]. Most accounts[weasel words] establish a connection between the site and the death of Umm Haram during the first Arab raids on Cyprus under the Caliph Muawiyah between 647 and 649, which were later pursued throughout the Umayyad and the Abbasid periods. According to these accounts, Umm Haram, being of very old age, had fallen from her mule and had died during a siege of Larnaca. She was buried near the salt lake and her grave became a sacred shrine. The shrine, and later the mosque and the whole complex was named after her. According to Shia belief, her grave lies within Jannatul Baqi cemetery in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

In Ottoman times, a mosque complex was built in stages around the tomb, especially as of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The shrine structure was first erected by Sheikh Hassan in 1760. Later the mosque was constructed and the complex assumed its present form around 1816/17. Hala Sultan Tekke complex is composed of a mosque, mausoleum, minaret, cemetery, and living quarters for men and women. The term tekke (convent) applies to a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa, and may have referred to an earlier feature of the location. The present-day complex, open to all and not belonging to a single religious movement, lies in a serene setting on the shores of the Larnaca Salt Lake, which appears to be an important site also in prehistory (see below). Hala Sultan Tekke is a listed Ancient Monument.

The Mosque of Umm Haram sits by the side of the Salt Lake. It was built in 1816 over the tomb of Rumaysa Um Haram, a relative of the Prophet Mohamed. She was born in Medina and is famous for being the first woman nurse. Also buried here is Khadiga Adila grand-daughter of Rashid Basha Sadr Azam, and wife of king Hussein Bin Ali of Higaz, an ancestor of the Jordanian royal family.

June 1997

Hala Sultan Tekke or the Mosque of Umm Haram is a very prominent Muslim shrine near Larnaca, on the island of Cyprus. Umm Haram (Hala Sultan is the Turkish language name) was Prophet Muhammad’s ‘wet-nurse’ and the wife of Ubada bin al-Samid. Umm Haram, being of very old age, had fallen from her mule and had died during a siege of Larnaca. She was buried near the salt lake and her grave became a sacred shrine. The shrine, and later the mosque and the whole complex was named after her.

4 more images

The Mosque of Hala Sultan Tekke lies beside the salt lake. It was built in 1816 over the tomb of a relative [foster- aunt-- Rumaysa Um Haram ]of the Prophet Mohamed.She was born in Medina and the first woman nurse. It was during the first Moslem invasion of Abdalla bin KaysCyprus , 649AD] that she is said to have fallen off her mule and died.
One piece of rock [which came from Sinai] was set up on two walls to protect the tomb.. Also buried here is Khadiga Adila grand-daughter of Rashid Basha Sadr Azam, and wife of king Hussein Bin Ali of Higaz 1348, an ancestor of the Jordanian royal family.
Behind the mosque are some standing gravestones.

It's hard to miss this amazing site when you land in Larnaca airport - especially during sunrise or sunset. If you're lucky, the salt lake will have some water in it from the downpours in winter - you'll get an amazing reflection of the surrounding geography and endless palm trees... trully breathtaking.

When on the ground, I suggest walking to the Islamic shrine - that way you can really get a good look around the surrounding areas. On summer weekends, many locals choose the wooded park nearby for their family BBQ's and picnics, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere. The shrine itself is about a 10 minute walk from the park, laden with palm trees, flowers, and other flora and fauna. I wouldn't suggest walking too close to the salt lake's edge as you could get rather muddy - beware walking too far out into the salt lake, there are rumours of the mud being like quicksand (I don't know how true this is, but I'm not willing to try it!). And if you're really lucky, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of the migrating flamingoes en route to Africa - hundreds of them creating pink reflections on the water's surface.

Back to the shrine itself - Hala Sultan Tekke is, as you might have guessed it, an Islamic shrine. It's unusual as it's dedicated to a woman, Umm Haram, who is an aunt of an assocociate of the Prophet Mohammed. The shrine was built between 1760 and 1796, over the site where Umm Haram fell from her mule and died in 649 - this was when the first Arab invasion of Cyprus occurred. The site is an important point for Muslim pilgrims since the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus in 1571, who utlimately built the mosque that is now present.

Definately a great place to take some amazing pictures - unfortunately, living in Larnaca my self, I always go there on the spur of the moment, without my camera. But will definately take a few images for this site.

The Hala Sultan Tekke is a major pilgrimage place for Muslims. With the Aunt of the Prophet Mohammed being buried here after she fell off her mule & broke her neck. It is quite high ranking in the Islamic pilgrimage stakes, 4th or 5th I have read

The Mosque of Hala Saltan Tekke is on the outskirts of Larnaka. It sits behind a salt lake, which at certain times of the year is a pink carpet of Flamingoes.

The Mosque was built on this site, as this is where Umm Haram,( the Porophet Mohammeds Aunt) died when she accompanied her husband when the Arabs invaded Cyprus. Also The King of Jordans Great Grandmother, Chadija, is buried here.