The Tomb of Omar | Catalkoy

Four kilometers to the east of Girne, on the coastal road to Catalköy, is the tomb of Hazreti Omar.

The small Hazreti Omar mosque and tombs house the remains of a 7th century commander and six other Muslim holy men. Many tales and myths relating to Hazreti Omar have been handed down to the present day. According to one, Omar was a company commander in the army of the Umayyad caliph, Muawwiye.

In one of the Arab raids Omar and his soldiers set foot on Cyprus at the very spot where the tomb now stands, and there they fell to awaiting Byzantine forces. After the skirmish their bodies were interred in brick built tombs. After the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus in 1571 rumours led to the rediscovery of the tomb and a shrine was built to the north west of the cave in which they were re-interred. In time, a masjid (small mosque) was built which encompassed the tomb and around it rooms were built for an imam, a caretaker and visitors to the tomb.