Religion in Northern Cyprus

{{Short description|none}}  {{use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}

This article documents the status of various religions in the limited-recognition state of [[Northern Cyprus]]. Turkish Cypriots administer approximately one-third of the island.

The dominant religion is [[Sunni Islam]]. It is also home to a significant [[Alevism|Alevi]] minority and a small [[Christianity|Christian]] one.<ref name="oirfNorth2022">{{cite report |author=Office of International Religious Freedom|author-link=International Religious Freedom Act of 1998#Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom and Office of International Religious Freedom |date=2022 |title=2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Cyprus |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/cyprus/area-administered-by-turkish-cypriots/ |publisher=U.S. Department of State |section=Area Administered by Turkish Cypriots |access-date=2024-08-08}}</ref>

== Islam == [[File:St. Nikolaos Mustafa- Pascha-Moschee C.jpg|thumb|[[Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque]] in [[Famagusta]]]]

The constitution states that the area is a secular republic and provides for freedom of conscience and religious faith. There are no official statistics on religion, but in 2022 it was estimated that 97% of the population is [[Sunni Muslim]]; the remainder was made up of [[Alevis]], [[Protestants]], [[Greek Orthodox]], [[Maronite Catholics]], [[Russian Orthodox]], [[Anglican]], [[Baha’i]]s, [[Jews]], and [[Jehovah’s Witnesses]].<ref name="oirfNorth2022"/>

{{As of|2021}}, the chairman of the [[TRNC Directorate of Religious Affairs]] is Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ünsal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KKTC Din Hizmetleri Müşavirliği - Din İşleri Başkanı Prof. Dr. Ahmet ÜNSAL, Müşavirimizi ziyaret etti |url=https://www.kktcdinhizmetleri.com/tr/11-makaleler/77-ziyaret |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=TRNC Directorate of Religious Affairs}}</ref>

There are 7 representatives of the Department: 5 of them in the 5 districts of [[Northern Cyprus]], one in Lefka village, one in the south part of the Cyprus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kktcdinisleri.com/yeni/?p=27|title=The Department of Religious Affairs of Northern Cyprus|accessdate=August 9, 2024|archive-date=August 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802165827/http://www.kktcdinisleri.com/yeni/?p=27|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Islam]] was first introduced to [[Cyprus]] when [[Uthman ibn Affan|Uthman]], the third [[Caliph]] of the [[Arab people|Arab]] [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun Empire]], conquered the island in 649. Cyprus remained a disputed territory between the [[Greeks]] and [[Arab people|Arabs]] for the following centuries, until it passed to Latin authority during the [[Crusades]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}} The island was conquered by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] general [[Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha|Lala Mustafa Pasha]] from the [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] in 1570. This conquest brought with it [[Turkish people|Turkish]] settlement from 1571 until 1878. During the 17th century especially, the [[Muslim]] population of the island grew rapidly, partly because of Turkish immigrants but also due to [[Greek Muslims|Greek converts to Islam]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

[[Turkish Cypriots]] are the overwhelming majority of the island's [[Muslim]]s, along with [[Turkish people|Turkish settlers]] from [[Turkey]] and adhere to the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] branch of [[Islam]]. [[Sufism]] also plays an important role. Historically, Muslims were spread over the whole of [[Cyprus]], but since 1974 they have lived primarily in the [[Northern Cyprus|north]]. The Ahmadiyya Community itself has a presence in north.<ref name="ahmadi">{{cite web | url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur44/028/2002/en/ | title=MEMBERS OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY DR MUHAMMED JALAL SHAMS, OSMAN SEKER, KUBILAY ÇIL: PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE FOR THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS | publisher=Amnesty International | date=June 5, 2002 | access-date=June 10, 2014 }}</ref>

Several important [[Islam]]ic shrines and landmarks exist on the island including: * The [[Arabahmet Mosque]] in [[Nicosia]] (built in the 16th century) * The [[Hala Sultan Tekke]]/'''Umm Haram Mosque''' in [[Larnaca]] (built in the 18th century) * The [[Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque]], [[Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia)|Selimiye Mosque]] and the [[Haydarpasha Mosque]]; former [[Catholicism|Catholic]] cathedrals left from the [[Crusades|Crusader era]], which were meant to cater exclusively to the Catholic minority which ruled the island and were converted to mosques after the Muslim conquest in the [[Middle Ages]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

All of the listed, apart from the Hala Sultan Tekke, are in [[Northern Cyprus]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

== Christianity == [[File:Remained Greek and Maronite Cypriots.png|thumb|right|Locations of the remaining predominantly Orthodox [[Greek Cypriots]] and Catholic [[Maronites in Cyprus|Maronite Cypriots]] in Northern Cyprus.]]

=== Orthodoxy ===

Orthodox Christians in [[Northern Cyprus]] make up 0.5% of the population. The Greek Cypriots are members of the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus ([[Church of Cyprus]]). In addition to the Orthodox Christian and Sunni Muslim communities, there is also small [[Maronite Church|Maronite]] (Eastern Rites Catholic) community.

In [[Northern Cyprus]] are the historical churches of [[Notre Dame de Tyre]] in [[Nicosia]] (1308) and [[Ganchvor Monastery|Ganchvor]] in [[Famagusta]] (1346).{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

=== Maronite Church === {{main|Maronites in Cyprus}}

Out of 209,286 Cypriots 1,131 were Maronites in 1891. The Maronites were 2,752 in 1960, in four villages all situated in currently [[Northern Cyprus]]. The origin of the Maronite Church is [[Lebanon]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

=== Others ===

[[Turkish Cypriot]] Protestants and Anglicans are a very small community. The leader and [[Pastor]] of the community is Kemal Başaran.[http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2009/09-08-05.tcpr.html Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-08-05] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205194640/http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2009/09-08-05.tcpr.html |date=2017-12-05 }} The vast majority are [[Anglican]] and use [[Anglican]] churches in the [[Kyrenia]] area along with the island's [[British people|British]] [[expatriate]] community.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

According to a statement from the Statistics Council, 2021 estimates indicate that there are approximately 1,000 Turkish-speaking [[Protestants]].<ref name="oirfNorth2022"/>

== See also == * [[Freedom of religion in Northern Cyprus]] * [[Religion in Cyprus]] * [[Freedom of religion in Cyprus]]

== References == <references />

== External links == * [https://kktcdinisleri.com/ Department of Religious Affairs of Northern Cyprus] {{In lang|tr}} * [https://rabbinatecyprus.org/en Chief Rabbinate of Cyprus] * [http://www.jewishcyprus.org Jewish Community of Cyprus]

{{Northern Cyprus topics}} {{Europe topic|Religion in}} {{Asia topic|Religion in|PS=Palestine#Religion}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In Northern Cyprus}} [[Category:Religion in Northern Cyprus| ]]