Lefkosa Selimiye Mosque is a mosque, located at Nicosia

Selimiye Mosque, historically known as Cathedral of Saint Sophia, is a former Roman Catholic cathedral converted into a mosque, located in North Nicosia. It is the main mosque of the city. The Selimiye Mosque is housed in the largest and oldest surviving Gothic church in Cyprus (interior dimensions: 66 X 21 m) possibly constructed on the site of an earlier Byzantine church.In total, the mosque has a capacity to hold 2500 worshipers with 1750 m2 available for worship.HistoryEarlier Byzantine churchThe name of the cathedral derives from Ayia Sophia, meaning "Holy Wisdom" in Greek. According to Kevork K. Keshishian, the dedication of the cathedral to the Holy Wisdom is a remnant from the Byzantine cathedral, which occupied the same place. However, such a cathedral is absent from Byzantine sources and is not associated with any excavated ruins. In spite of this, there is evidence of the existence of such a cathedral; an 11th-century manuscript mentions the existence of an episcopal church dedicated to Holy Wisdom in the city.Construction and Frankish periodThe construction of the cathedral began in 1209, when Thierry, the Archbishop of Cyprus, lay the foundations of the cathedral, however, there are claims of evidence indicating an earlier beginning date. Halil Fikret Alasya, however, credits Eustorge de Montaigu, the Archbishop of Cyprus during the early years of the Frankish rule with the commencement of the construction. in 1208, By 1228, the church was "largely completed" under Eustorge. The arrival of Louis IX of France in Cyprus in 1248 for the Seventh Crusade gave a boost to the construction. By the end of the 13th century the side aisles and a large part of the middle aisle were completed.

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