The Western façade of St Nicolas Cathedral
The western facade faces the square, and if it looks vaguely familiar, it's because the whole building was based on one of Europe’s greatest Gothic cathedrals, Rheims Cathedral in France. Famagusta was so wealthy and so influential at this time, that the city masters decided it needed a full-blown Latin cathdral. So it's also not surprising that the architects were brought from France to design this Gothic masterpiece. St Nicolas Cathedral in Famagusta was built between 1298 and 1326, and with its three pointed gables elegantly pointing towards the rose window above, it makes a fine sight from a shady table at one of the square's two cafés! Since St Nicolas Cathedral was built in the same brown limestone as the surrounding city walls of Famagusta, it also seems to fit exactly into its surroundings. The only stained glass to survive the bombardment in the siege of 1571 is the six-part rose window, high up on the front of St Nicolas Cathedral.

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, also known as The cathedral of St. Nicholas is the largest medieval building in Famagusta. The cathedral was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Empire captured Famagusta in 1571.