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In 649, the Muslims under Caliph Muawiyah attacked the island for the first time, opening the capital Salamis - Constantia after a brief siege, but drafted a treaty with the local rulers. During this expedition, a relative of the Prophet (PBUH), Umm-Haram fell from her mule near the Salt Lake at Larnaca where she died and was buried. The Ottomans built later the Hala Sultan Tekke here which can be still visited nowadays.
In 650, the Muslims returned and installed a garrison of 12,000 on part of the island, where they remained until 680.
Only 8 years later, the Byzantine emperor Justinian II and the Caliph Abdul Malik agreed on something unique:
For the next 300 years, the island was ruled jointly by both the Byzantine ruler and the Muslim caliph, while taxes were divided among both!
Although the Byzantines tried to capture the island for themselves several times, Cyprus remained under the Caliph until the 10th century. For about 6 centuries it was Christian-ruled but in 1571, it became part of the mighty Ottoman Empire.
This was an excerpt out of the Islamic history of Europe book. If you want to find out more about the book become a member and get 7 days for free!
Jazakamulawkheir and Thank you for reading. Write a comment about what you think of the agreement between
the Muslim and Byzantium empires.
The Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaka
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