BUILT TO COMMEMORATE VICTORY OVER NAPOLEON BONAPERTE
A MONUMENT TO VICTORY
There are several monuments around the world commemorating victories against the once mighty armies of the French usurper Napoleon Bonaparte, but few people acknowledge that one was built in Limassol in 1825. This accolade belongs to the Jami Jedid Mosque, situated in the heart of today’s city. This landmark commemorates a victory over Napoleon Bonaparte at the siege of Acre that was defended by forces made up of Ottoman, Egyptian, and Cypriots forces.
THE SEIGE OF ACRE
In March 1799, after taking Jaffa, Napoleon approached the walls of Acre. The town was fortified and ready for defence. These troops were further supplied by British reinforcements from the sea, making the defences inpregnable. Amongst the ranks of the defenders was an infantryman known as Haji Ibrahim Agha Koprulu. The young Cypriot hailed from Limassol, and he was amongst several Cypriot troops defending the city. The young soldier went on to promise that if he returned from the war unharmed, he would build a new mosque in his home town. The defences held and after defeating Napoleon, the Turkish Cypriot returned to Cyprus safely to fulfil his vow.
THE NEW MOSQUE
Jami Jedid, or ‘the new mosque’, as it came to be known, was completed in 1825. The place that Ibrahim chose to build his new mosque was a bustling cosmopolitan area at the time that was close to his home. It was already well populated and had several apartment blocks, warehouses, and shops that included several restaurants and cafes.
AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK
The mosque was built along the Garallis river and it soon became an important landmark to predominantly one of the most important Turkish-Cypriot areas on the island. The other other side of the river would see the construction of the Orthodox Church of Saint Anthony, five years later. A wooden bridge would also be erected over the river connecting the two holy sites to the main street. As a tribute to its founder, the grounds of the mosque were used as a fitting burial ground for its founder, Haji Ibrahim Agha Koprulu.Â
THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1894
The great flood of 1894 saw the Garillis River burst its banks. The rushing water swept away the wooden bridge, and the flood that ensued severely damaged the mosque, which lay in ruins until 1909. The mosque was then restored to its former glory with financial help directly from Turkish Cypriots living in Turkey.
A SYMBOL OF CYPRIOT FIGHTING SPIRIT
Built by a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, the Jami Jedid Mosque remains a symbol of the Cypriot fighting spirit and is a valuable monument to the contribution of Cypriot men in great historical events.
A HISTORICAL CO-EXISTANCE
Today, the Turkish Mosque and the Greek Orthodox Church, which lie just metres away from each other, remain an important testimony to the historical co-existence of the two main Cypriot communities that once lived together in harmony before the intervention of outside influences.
