Mehmet Agha Mosque

Located halfway down Socratous street, this is in more than one aspect a very original construction. Built as it is on top of another building, the Mosque is accessible by an external staircase leading to a quite unusual porch and through it to the main hall before reaching up to the third level where the gynaeceum is. Interestingly, this Mosque’s minaret is based upon that same wooden staircase construction.
This building was developed in two stages whilst – as the case has been with the Hamza Bey Mosque – no information is available as to who Mehmet Agha was. The first stage of the construction was launched in 1820, succeeded by the second one, in 1875. A common denominator for both such stages of construction – as well as for whatever additions and modifications that followed – has been the frugality of the decoration. Also typical of such Mosque is the absence of a cupola and the existence, in lieu, of a wooden roof, set in French-style tiles.