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, followed by as much as 97% of the population. It is also home to a significant Alevi minority and a small Christian one. [1]
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’is, Jews, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. [1]
As of 2021 [update] , the chairman of the 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, one in Lefka village, one in the south part of the Cyprus. [3]
Islam was first introduced to Cyprus when Uthman, the third Caliph of the Arab Rashidun Empire, conquered the island in 649. Cyprus remained a disputed territory between the Greeks and Arabs for the following centuries, until it passed to Latin authority during the Crusades. The island was conquered by the Ottoman general Lala Mustafa Pasha from the Venetians in 1570. This conquest brought with it 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 converts to Islam.
Turkish Cypriots are the overwhelming majority of the island's Muslims, along with Turkish settlers from Turkey and adhere to the 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 north. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community itself has a presence in north. [4]
Several important Islamic shrines and landmarks exist on the island including:
All of the listed, apart from the Hala Sultan Tekke, are in Northern Cyprus.
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 (Eastern Rites Catholic) community.
In Northern Cyprus are the historical churches of Notre Dame de Tyre in Nicosia (1308) and Ganchvor in Famagusta (1346).
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.
Turkish Cypriot Protestants and Anglicans are a very small community. The leader and Pastor of the community is Kemal Başaran.Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-08-05 The vast majority are Anglican and use Anglican churches in the Kyrenia area along with the island's British expatriate community.
The people of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many cultural traits but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with Greece and Turkey respectively. Before the dispute started in 1964 the peoples of Cyprus were dispersed over the entire island.
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Turkish Australians or Australian Turks are Australians who have emigrated from Turkey or who have Turkish ancestral origins.
Kormakitis is a small village in Cyprus. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus. Kormakitis is one of four traditionally Maronite villages in Cyprus, the other three being Asomatos, Agia Marina and Karpaseia. The Maronites of Kormakitis traditionally speak their own variety of Arabic called Cypriot Maronite Arabic (CMA) in addition to Greek and recently Turkish and they follow the Catholic Maronite Church. Cape Kormakitis is named after the village.
Hala Sultan Tekke is a mosque and takya on the west bank of Larnaca Salt Lake, in Larnaca, Cyprus. Umm Haram, known as Hala Sultan in Turkish tradition, was the wife of Ubada bin al-Samit, a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and foster sister of Muhammad's mother, Amina.
Islam in Cyprus is the island's second-largest religion after Christianity, and is also the predominant faith of the Turkish Cypriot community which resides in Northern Cyprus. Before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the Turkish Cypriot community made up 18% of the island's population and lived throughout the island. Today, most of the estimated 264,172 Muslims are based in the north of the island.
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Religion in Cyprus is dominated by Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity, whose adherents make up 73% of the total population of the entire island. Most Greek Cypriots are members of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox 'Church of Cyprus'. Most Turkish Cypriots are officially Sunni Muslims. There are also Baháʼí, Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic, and non-religious communities in Cyprus.
Religion in Syria refers to the range of religions practiced by the citizens of Syria. Historically, the region has been a mosaic of diverse faiths with a range of different sects within each of these religious communities.
The Constitution of Kuwait provides for religious freedom. The constitution of Kuwait provides for absolute freedom of belief and for freedom of religious practice. The constitution stated that Islam is the state religion and that Sharia is a source of legislation. In general, citizens were open and tolerant of other religious groups. Regional events contributed to increased sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shia.
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Turkey is a secular state in accordance with Article 24 of its constitution. Secularism in Turkey derives from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Six Arrows: republicanism, populism, laïcité, reformism, nationalism and statism. The Turkish government imposes some restrictions on Muslims and other religious groups, as well as Muslim religious expression in government offices and state-run institutions, including universities.
The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus provides for freedom of religion. The government of the Republic of Cyprus is the only internationally recognized government on the island, and administers two-thirds of the island.
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The constitution of Northern Cyprus protects the freedom of religion, and it states that Northern Cyprus is a secular state.
Ömeriye Mosque, is a mosque in the walled city of Nicosia on the island of Cyprus, currently located in the south section of Nicosia. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the mosque gained significance as one of the most important sites of Muslim worship in the non-Muslim section of the island and the city.
The history of the Jews in Northern Cyprus is related to the history of the Jews in Cyprus, history of the Jews in Turkey, and the history of the Jews in Greece.
TRNC Directorate of Religious Affairs is the institution responsible for carrying out works related to faith, worship and moral principles of Islam; enlightening the society about religion, and managing places of worship in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Directorate of Religious Affairs of the island falls under the umbrella of the Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey. The Directorate provides services in the five districts of the TRNC: Nicosia, Famagusta, Girne, Güzelyurt, İskele, as well as Lefke and Republic of Cyprus.