Nicosia VIII, Haman Traditional Geocache
XantheTerra: As there's been no cache to find for months, I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
The cache is a micro magnetic and is placed in a popular public area, a never ending muggles area.
Nicosia series VIII, Haman
Do you want to walk back in history on narrow streets, old houses and buildings? Then this is the cache for you and not only. Follow the Nicosia caches and be part of the history
The history here is Omeriye baths and Omeriye Mosque.
The Omeriye Ottoman Baths (hamam) are located in the Omeriye Quarter, in the heart of the walled city of Nicosia, Cyprus. It stands to the north of Omeriye mosque, a very important monument of the old city. The mosque was probably named after the prophet Omar, to whom it was dedicated. The Omeriye hamam, built by Lala Mustafa Pasha, the first Ottoman administrator of the island, dates back to the late 16th century (around 1571), at the very beginning of the Ottoman rule. Furthermore, the hamam is one of the three public baths in Nicosia and the only one of them that has been fully restored.
The 16th century Omeriye Ottoman Baths in Nicosia is in full operation for the general public.
The focal points of the area is the former monastery of St. Marie presently the Omeriye Mosque. A very active nowdays Mosque. Formerly a medieval Augustinian monastery, the Omeriye Mosque has been used as a mosque since the 16 th century. The discovery of a number of tombs of Augustinian hermits identifies Omeriye Mosque as the original church of the Order of the Augustinians dedicated to St Mary. The door of the main entrance belongs to the original 14th century building. The church would have initially been about 15m high and the most imposing building of Medieval Nicosia, after St Sophia. The architecture of the building is generally simple, with heavy exterior façades and buttresses. The vaulted entrance preserves appreciable sculptural decoration. Remains of a later, Renaissance addition to the building can be seen on the NE. The roof and superstructure, roughly dam to the height of the windows was destroyed by the cannonades of the Turks at the siege of Nicosia in 1570. After the fall, the Turks rebuilt the walls, added a wooden roof, plastered the interior and added a minaret. It was converted into a mosque, in 1571, by Mustapha Pasha. The name of the mosque is associated with the 7th century prophet Omer who, legend has it, visited Nicosia on his way to Egypt, and spent the night in the porch of the ruined church.
Cache notes:
Please, REPLACE the cache as found for its survival.
Bring your own pen or pencil to log.
Please also do not use stamps (it takes A LOT OF SPACE).
A FTF diploma in the cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fvg