Orounta Mosque, Nicosia

Orounta Mosque, Nicosia

The mosque in Orounta/Orunda village in Nicosia was built in different phases between the 19th and 20th centuries. The complex actually consists of three buildings: the mosque, a secondary building and the school building. The mosque was heavily reconstructed in 1889, while a second restoration took place shortly after 1927. In December 2021, the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage began conservation works to preserve the monument; these were completed in August 2022.

The monument is built with igneous rocks originating from the Troodos Ophiolite Complex. Their main properties are summarized below: 

• Apparent Density (EN 1936): 2750-2790 kg/m³
• Open Porosity (EN 1936): 0.75-1.05%
• Compressive Strength (based on in-situ Schmidt hammer measurements): 185-295 MPa  

The aforementioned tests for the characterization of the monument's stone were carried out in 2020, in the framework of a combined laboratory and in situ investigation that was conducted to determine the physico-mechanical and mineralogical characteristics of the building materials of Orounta Mosque. Sampling and testing was assigned to the Building Materials and LEDRA Laboratories of the University of Cyprus by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

University of Cyprus - Ledra and Building Materials Labs & The Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ΕΤΕΚ)

University of Cyprus - Ledra and Building Materials Labs & The Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ΕΤΕΚ)

University of Cyprus - Ledra and Building Materials Labs

University of Cyprus - Ledra and Building Materials Labs

Photos taken by Rogiros Illampas, University of Cyprus - Ledra and Building Materials Labs