# Religion in Northern Cyprus

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

The dominant religion is [Sunni Islam](/source/Sunni_Islam). It is also home to a significant [Alevi](/source/Alevism) minority and a small [Christian](/source/Christianity) one.[1]

## Islam

[Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque](/source/Lala_Mustafa_Pasha_Mosque) in [Famagusta](/source/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](/source/Sunni_Muslim); the remainder was made up of [Alevis](/source/Alevis), [Protestants](/source/Protestants), [Greek Orthodox](/source/Greek_Orthodox), [Maronite Catholics](/source/Maronite_Catholics), [Russian Orthodox](/source/Russian_Orthodox), [Anglican](/source/Anglican), [Baha’is](/source/Baha%E2%80%99i), [Jews](/source/Jews), and [Jehovah’s Witnesses](/source/Jehovah%E2%80%99s_Witnesses).[1]

As of 2021[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_Northern_Cyprus&action=edit), the chairman of the [TRNC Directorate of Religious Affairs](/source/TRNC_Directorate_of_Religious_Affairs) is Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ünsal.[2]

There are 7 representatives of the Department: 5 of them in the 5 districts of [Northern Cyprus](/source/Northern_Cyprus), one in Lefka village, one in the south part of the Cyprus.[3]

[Islam](/source/Islam) was first introduced to [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus) when [Uthman](/source/Uthman_ibn_Affan), the third [Caliph](/source/Caliph) of the [Arab](/source/Arab_people) [Rashidun Empire](/source/Rashidun_Caliphate), conquered the island in 649. Cyprus remained a disputed territory between the [Greeks](/source/Greeks) and [Arabs](/source/Arab_people) for the following centuries, until it passed to Latin authority during the [Crusades](/source/Crusades).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The island was conquered by the [Ottoman](/source/Ottoman_Empire) general [Lala Mustafa Pasha](/source/Lala_Kara_Mustafa_Pasha) from the [Venetians](/source/Republic_of_Venice) in 1570. This conquest brought with it [Turkish](/source/Turkish_people) settlement from 1571 until 1878. During the 17th century especially, the [Muslim](/source/Muslim) population of the island grew rapidly, partly because of Turkish immigrants but also due to [Greek converts to Islam](/source/Greek_Muslims).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

[Turkish Cypriots](/source/Turkish_Cypriots) are the overwhelming majority of the island's [Muslims](/source/Muslim), along with [Turkish settlers](/source/Turkish_people) from [Turkey](/source/Turkey) and adhere to the [Sunni](/source/Sunni_Islam) branch of [Islam](/source/Islam). [Sufism](/source/Sufism) also plays an important role. Historically, Muslims were spread over the whole of [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus), but since 1974 they have lived primarily in the [north](/source/Northern_Cyprus). The Ahmadiyya Community itself has a presence in north.[4]

Several important [Islamic](/source/Islam) shrines and landmarks exist on the island including:

- The [Arabahmet Mosque](/source/Arabahmet_Mosque) in [Nicosia](/source/Nicosia) (built in the 16th century)

- The [Hala Sultan Tekke](/source/Hala_Sultan_Tekke)/**Umm Haram Mosque** in [Larnaca](/source/Larnaca) (built in the 18th century)

- The [Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque](/source/Lala_Mustafa_Pasha_Mosque), [Selimiye Mosque](/source/Selimiye_Mosque_(Nicosia)) and the [Haydarpasha Mosque](/source/Haydarpasha_Mosque); former [Catholic](/source/Catholicism) cathedrals left from the [Crusader era](/source/Crusades), 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](/source/Middle_Ages).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

All of the listed, apart from the Hala Sultan Tekke, are in [Northern Cyprus](/source/Northern_Cyprus).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Christianity

Locations of the remaining predominantly Orthodox [Greek Cypriots](/source/Greek_Cypriots) and Catholic [Maronite Cypriots](/source/Maronites_in_Cyprus) in Northern Cyprus.

### Orthodoxy

Orthodox Christians in [Northern Cyprus](/source/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](/source/Church_of_Cyprus)). In addition to the Orthodox Christian and Sunni Muslim communities, there is also small [Maronite](/source/Maronite_Church) (Eastern Rites Catholic) community.

In [Northern Cyprus](/source/Northern_Cyprus) are the historical churches of [Notre Dame de Tyre](/source/Notre_Dame_de_Tyre) in [Nicosia](/source/Nicosia) (1308) and [Ganchvor](/source/Ganchvor_Monastery) in [Famagusta](/source/Famagusta) (1346).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### Maronite Church

Main article: [Maronites in Cyprus](/source/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](/source/Northern_Cyprus). The origin of the Maronite Church is [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### Others

[Turkish Cypriot](/source/Turkish_Cypriot) Protestants and Anglicans are a very small community. The leader and [Pastor](/source/Pastor) of the community is Kemal Başaran.[Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-08-05](http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2009/09-08-05.tcpr.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171205194640/http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2009/09-08-05.tcpr.html) 2017-12-05 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) The vast majority are [Anglican](/source/Anglican) and use [Anglican](/source/Anglican) churches in the [Kyrenia](/source/Kyrenia) area along with the island's [British](/source/British_people) [expatriate](/source/Expatriate) community.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

According to a statement from the Statistics Council, 2021 estimates indicate that there are approximately 1,000 Turkish-speaking [Protestants](/source/Protestants).[1]

## See also

- [Freedom of religion in Northern Cyprus](/source/Freedom_of_religion_in_Northern_Cyprus)

- [Religion in Cyprus](/source/Religion_in_Cyprus)

- [Freedom of religion in Cyprus](/source/Freedom_of_religion_in_Cyprus)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-oirfNorth2022_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-oirfNorth2022_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-oirfNorth2022_1-2) [Office of International Religious Freedom](/source/International_Religious_Freedom_Act_of_1998#Ambassador_at_Large_for_International_Religious_Freedom_and_Office_of_International_Religious_Freedom) (2022). "Area Administered by Turkish Cypriots". [2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Cyprus](https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/cyprus/area-administered-by-turkish-cypriots/) (Report). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 8 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["KKTC Din Hizmetleri Müşavirliği - Din İşleri Başkanı Prof. Dr. Ahmet ÜNSAL, Müşavirimizi ziyaret etti"](https://www.kktcdinhizmetleri.com/tr/11-makaleler/77-ziyaret). *TRNC Directorate of Religious Affairs*. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Department of Religious Affairs of Northern Cyprus"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170802165827/http://www.kktcdinisleri.com/yeni/?p=27). Archived from [the original](http://kktcdinisleri.com/yeni/?p=27) on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ahmadi_4-0)** ["MEMBERS OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY DR MUHAMMED JALAL SHAMS, OSMAN SEKER, KUBILAY ÇIL: PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE FOR THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS"](https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur44/028/2002/en/). Amnesty International. 5 June 2002. Retrieved 10 June 2014.

## External links

- [Department of Religious Affairs of Northern Cyprus](https://kktcdinisleri.com/) (in Turkish)

- [Chief Rabbinate of Cyprus](https://rabbinatecyprus.org/en)

- [Jewish Community of Cyprus](http://www.jewishcyprus.org)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Religion in Northern Cyprus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Northern_Cyprus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Northern_Cyprus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.