CYPRUS:
Hala Sultan Tekke
The Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque containing the shrine of Umm Haram, the `foster-mother` of
the Prophet Muhammad is considered the third most holy site in Islam. The
complex is situated in a quiet garden on the shores of a salt lake, 6kms
from Larnaca on the south coast of Cyprus. A Turkish account of the
old woman`s demise says she broke her neck in a fall off a mule while
riding on the lakeshore
in the year 646 AD. Local myth claims her tomb was found by a wandering
Dervish who reported that its stones seemed to have healing powers. On
touching them, cripples were able to rise and walk and other pilgrims had
their maladies miraculously cured. Hearing these stories, in 1760 the
Ottoman Sultan in Istanbul ordered a mosque to be built over the tomb. The chamber containing the tomb is located behind the mihrab
prayer niche in the mosque. It stands within a trilithon whose cross-piece is a slab of fallen meteorite similar to the
sacred ka`ba in Mecca. The tomb
is draped in an embroidered green cloth and is protected by bronze
grill-work. Though very simple, the present mosque, built in 1816,
exudes a special spiritual quality remarked on by both Muslim and Christian
visitors. Basic accommodation is available for pilgrims.