Massacre in Nicosia

Massacre in Nicosia was a massacre committed by the Ottomans during Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573).

Map of the siege of Nicosia, by Giovanni Camoccio, 1574

On 1 July 1570, Cyprus came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. On 22 July, Piali Pasha having captured Paphos, Limassol and Larnaca marched his army towards Nicosia and laid siege to the city.[1] The city managed to last 40 days under siege until its fall on 9 September 1570.

Approximately 20,000 Greek inhabitants died during the siege and every church, public building, and palace was looted.[2] Nicosia had an estimated population of 21,100 before the Ottoman invasion, and based on the Ottoman census data of 1572, the population had been reduced to 1,100–1,200.[3] The devastation of the city was so extensive that for the few years after the conquest, a number of villages in the island had a larger population than Nicosia.[4] The main churches were converted into mosques, such as the conversion of the Saint Sophia Cathedral.[5]

References
  1. "Cyprus – Historical Setting – Ottoman Rule".
  2. Hopkins, T.C.F. (2007). Confrontation at Lepanto: Christendom vs. Islam. Macmillan. p. 82.
  3. Theocharides, Ioannis (2012). "Nicosia Under Ottoman Rule 1570–1878: Part I". Rimal Books. p. 237.
  4. "Nicosia Municipality". Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  5. Jennings, Ronald C. (1993). . New York, London. Christians and Muslims in Ottoman Cyprus and the Mediterranean World, 1571–1640. New York University Press. p. 256.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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