Identifier: myexperiencesofc00stew (find matches)
Title: My experiences of Cyprus; being an account of the people, mediæval cities and castles, antiquities and history of the island of Cyprus: to which is added a chapter on the present economic and political problems which affect the island as a dependency of the British empire
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Stewart, Basil, 1880-
Subjects: Cyprus -- Description and travel Great Britain -- Colonies Cyprus
Publisher: London : G. Routledge New York, E.P. Dutton
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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of, are 139 My Experiences of the Island of Cyprus. particularly pleasing. The west door is alsovery beautiful, being rich In decoration.The edifice Is disfigured by the usualincongruous minaret. One of the most interesting remains ofold Nicosia is the Court of the Seraglio orLusignan Palace. It is a large, open court-yard, surrounded with an arcade of pointedarches, carried on rather short, squarepillars, carrying a balcony above, with awell in the centre. There was, till a fewyears ago, an entrance gate, over which wasa square room, which had a beautiful flam-boyant window facing the courtyard. Thiswas pulled down as unsafe. The wholeseraglio is now in a very dilapidated, tumble-down condition. Scattered throughout Nicosia, but chieflyin the south-west quarter, are remains ofthe old Venetian buildings, and near theOmcrghch Mosque are several old Venetiandoorways, with coats-of-arms over them.One of the best of these doorways, with avery perfect coat-of-arms, is here illustrated. 140
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VENETIAN DOORWAY, NICOSIA. Kythraea and Nicosia. The balcony above it, with its iron supports,is a later addition. About a stones-throw from the OmerghehMosque stands the Greek Church of St.John. It is a Byzantine building; its chiefinterest lies in the fact that the whole ofthe walls and roof are covered with gro-tesque paintings, representing Biblical scenesfrom the beginning of the world to theDay of Judgment. Altogether there mustbe several hundred figures represented. Another interesting old Byzantine churchis the Phaneromene, with a curious oldpainting over the door, representing theburial and resurrection (?) of Christ, andbelow it a carving in high relief, showing twogrotesque lions supporting (i.e., heraldically)human winged figure. That there are so few Gothic churchesin Nicosia, as compared with Famagusta,is due to the fact that when the Venetiansrebuilt the walls in 1564, in destroying theold fortifications they also demolished someeighty churches with them. 141 CHAPTER VI

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