I KNOW THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT AND HOLIEST MOSQUES ARE THE GREAT MOSQUE OF MECCA WHERE THE KAABAH IS LOCATED, THE MOSQUE OF PROPHET MOHAMMAD IN MEDINA AND AL-AQSA MOSQUE IN OLD JERUSALEM WHERE PROPHET MOHAMMAD TOOK HIS FAMOUS 'NIGHT JOURNEY' FROM MECCA TO JERUSALEM, A JOURNEY OF NEARLY 800 MILES WITHIN 1 NIGHT AND AFTER VISITING THE REALMS OF HEAVEN, RETURNED TO MECCA WITH GOD'S COMMAND OF 5 DAILY PRAYERS.
But I never knew the 4th most important mosque is, of all places, in Cyprus the Mediterranean island!
Cyprus appears most unlikely as it is the supposed birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, Sex and Passion who was born off the coast of Cyprus at Aphrodite's Rock. She emerged from the foams after Zeus cut off the penis of his own father Cronos! Cronos's testicles fell into the sea off Cyprus and Aphrodite was born from his sperm!
Cyprus however was ruled by the Ottoman Sultans and their pashas for some 300 years till 1878 so there is a strong link to Turkey. The vast majority of 80% of Cypriots today belong to the Greek Orthodox Church though the population of Cyprus is only 1.17 million.
Of the 1.17 million, around 840,000 are in Cyprus while the rest are in northern Cyprus under Turkish rule as Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and the Green Line is the border crossing similar to Korea's DMZ.
Next to Lanarca is Hala Sultan Tekke, the 4th most important mosque and the only one dedicated to a woman named Umm Haram.
'Haram' in Bahasa Malaysia generally means 'Forbidden' or prohibited or banned but when pronounced differently with a certain tonal emphasis, it means 'sacred' as in Masjid Al-Haram the Sacred Mosque of Mecca which is the most important and holiest shrine in Islam.
In this case, Umm Haram means 'Sacred Mother' or 'Hala Sultan' which is the Turkish form.
The world famous stone that floated miraculously above Umm Haram's grave the morning after she was buried
Taken with flash
The sarcophagus of Umm Haram
Umm Haram's tomb
This huge slab of stone hovered miraculously over the grave of Umm Haram when she died after falling off a horse (or mule) in 647 aged 70
Kaiza and Q Ling taking photos of this stone slab which hovered in midair in 647 over the grave of Umm Haram which proved she had pleased Allah who welcomed her into heaven.
This slab of stone continues to hover above the tomb of Umm Haram but one must presume it is held securely in place by men though in 647 it was said 2 angels held it
Looks like the stone is resting on the curtains...
This palm leaf motif is on the stone carving on the floor
Looks like the Star of David!
Beautiful carving on stone on each side of the tomb
Shell motif. By coincidence the famous painting 'Birth of Venus' by Boticelli in 1486 also showed Venus emerging from the foamy sea on a shell
Another stone motif
Note the stone carvings on each side of the tomb
Entrance to Umm Haram's tomb
Hala Sultan Tekke mosque
The world famous Salt Lake of Lanarca in Cyprus
There are plenty of cats in this mosque!
Entrance gate
The salt lake
Looks like white beach or waves but this is a salt lake!
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