Hala Sultan Tekke

**Hala Sultan Tekke** (Greek: Τεκές Χαλά Σουλτάνας *Tekés Chalá Soultánas*; Turkish: *Hala Sultan Tekkesi*) be a mosque den takya (anaa *tekke* insyd Turkish) for de west bank of Larnaca Salt Lake, insyd Larnaca, Cyprus. Umm Haram, dem know am as Hala Sultan insyd Turkish tradition, na she be de wifey of Ubada bin al-Samit, a companion of de Islamic prophet Muhammad, den foster sisto of Muhammad ein mommie, Amina.

Hala Sultan Tekke complex dey compose of a mosque, mausoleum, cemetery, den living quarters give men den women. De term tekke (lodge) dey apply to a building dem design specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, anaa tariqa, wey fi refer to an earlier feature of de location. De present-day complex dey lie for de shores of de Larnaca Salt Lake, an important site insyd prehistory. Dem list Hala Sultan Tekke Ancient Monument.

## History

### Antiquity
During de second half of de second millennium B.C, na dem use de area of de Hala Sultan Tekke as a cemetery by de people wey live insyd an archaeological site given de modern designation Dromolaxia *Vizatzia*, a large Late Cypriote town a few hundred meters to de West. Originally dem identify am as an archaeological site dey follow looting insyd de 1890s, na dem excavate chaw tombs of Late Bronze Age date (around 1650-1100 BC) plus rich contents by de British Museum insyd 1897–1898 wey Henry Beauchamp Walters den then John Winter Crowfoot direct; na dem divide de finds between de British Museum den de Cyprus Museum. Na Swedish archaeologist Arne Furumark identify contemporary settlement insyd 1947 den sam preliminary excavations de Department of Antiquities conduct. Na dem excavate a part of dis town from de 1970s dey go by a Swedish archaeological mission wey Professor Paul Åström lead, wey e prove to be a major urban centre of Late Bronze Age Cyprus.

De most recent excavations for Hala Sultan Tekke, na The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition carry out by Professor Peter M. Fischer from de University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2010-2012- ...); spy www.fischerarchaeology.se. Na dem publish de results of de excavations annually insyd de journal *Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome*. Insyd 2018, na Fischer uncover chaw tombs for de site wey dem dey explore carefully. De tombs date to 1500 den 1350 BC wey e contain artifacts of de Bronze Age wey dey demonstrate de extensive trade of goods wey dey exist for de time.

Na Radar surveys (2010–2012) demonstrate dat na de city be one of de largest insyd de Late Bronze Age (roughly 1600–1100 BC), maybe as large as 50 ha. Anoda archaeological investigation wey de Department of Antiquities conduct under de women dema quarter of Hala Sultan Tekke reveal building remains date to de late Archaic, Classical, den Hellenistic periods (sixth to first century BC). Chae finds dey indicate dat na dem fi use de site as a sanctuary buh de limited scale of de investigations dey preclude definite conclusions about ein use.

### Ottoman era
Chaw accounts establish a connection between de site den de death of Umm Haram during de first Arab conquest of Cyprus under de Caliph Muawiyah between 647 den 649, wich na e later pursue thru out de Umayyad den de Abbasid periods. According to dese accounts, Umm Haram, na she be of very old age, fall from ein mule wey na she die during a siege of Larnaca. Na dem later bury am wer she die. According to Shia belief, ein grave dey lie within Jannatul Baqi cemetery insyd Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

During de Ottoman administration of Cyprus, na dem build a mosque complex insyd stages around de tomb. Na dem discover de tomb insyd de 18th century by de dervish dem bell Sheikh Hasan, wey na dem sabso build de first structure hie. Dervish Hasan manage make he convince de administrative den religious authorities of de site ein sacred nature den plus de permission he receive, he build de shrine around de tomb insyd 1760 wey na he make dem decorate am. Na dem fi build de wooden fences around de tomb by de 19th-century Ottoman governor insyd Cyprus, Seyyid Elhac Mehmed Agha, wich na ein successor Acem Ali Agha replace by fences insyd bronze den two doors.

For anoda account insyd, Giovanni Mariti, wey visit Cyprus between 1760 den 1767, wrep say na de Cyprus governor he name as Ali Agha build de shrine. According to Mariti, til 1760 na dem use de stones of a standing church insyd a ruined village nearby as construction materials. For anoda source insyd, na dem mention say de construction of de mosque be initiated by de Cyprus governor Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi insyd classical Ottoman style, wey na dem plete am insyd November 1817.

Na dem repair de ancillary buildings insyd 2004, wey na dem currently dey restore de mosque den de minaret. Na dem carry out both of dese initiatives plus support from de Bi-communal Development Programme, wich be funded from USAID den UNDP, wey dem implement thru UNOPS.

## Layout

Above de entry gate to Tekke garden be an Ottoman inscription wey date 4 March 1813. Sultan Mahmud II ein monogram dey appear for both syds of de inscription wey e dey read, "Na dem build Hala Sultan Tekke by God ein beloved great Ottoman Cyprus governor". Na de garden einself be designed by a pasha wey e cam be known as "Pasha garden". De complex of buildings adjacent to de Tekke be known as "Gülşen-Feyz" (d*e rose garden of plenitude* anaa of *enlightenment*). To de north (left) of de entrance na dem used to be a guesthouse give men. For de right syd of de entrance, na der be anoda guesthouse of wich dem reserve one block give men (Selamlik) den de oda give women (Haremlik). Na ebe a custom for visitors make dem take de oath of dedication to serve de Hala Sultan Tekke if dem realize dema wishes. De domed mosque be square-shaped plus a balcony wey na dem build am insyd yellow stone blocks. Na dem repair de minaret insyd 1959.

## Gallery

File:Larnaca 01-2017 img30 Salt Lake.jpg|Hala Sultan Tekke plus Larnaca Salt Lake insyd de foreground
File:LarnacaSaltLake.jpg|Aerial photo of de Larnaca Salt Lake (insyd winter) plus Hala Sultan Tekke
File:Hala Sultan Tekke.jpg|De Hala Sultan Tekke.
File:Hala Sultan Tekke Larnaca 7.JPG|Insyd de Hala Sultan Tekke
File:Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque 1958.jpg|Hala Sultan Tekke behind a small courtyard insyd 1958


## References

## External links

* Excavations reveal copper deposits that made Cyprus one of the most important Late Bronze Age trade hubs - Phys.org - March 16, 2023
* Ancient Cyprus in the British Museum
* Rehabilitation of the Hala Sultan Tekke Complex
* MP3 and PDF audio guides by the Cyprus Tourism Organization.
* Documentary: Akdeniz'in Nuru Hala Sultan from Diyanet TV