The Zouhouri Tekke

The Zouhouri Tekke

Dating back to the mid-17^th century, the Zouhouri tekke was used as a lodge by the ‘Zouhouri kolu’; a “guild of craftsmen who built games for the promenade and shadow puppet plays (e.g. Karagoz)” under the Ottoman Bektashi Order. Once the Bektashi Order was outlawed, the monastery was given to the Sufi Orders loyal to sultan Abdulaziz. Over the centuries Zouhouri has gone through various transformations, taking on damage during leadership changes and restored by different Orders. Today, the site is a defining landmark of the city of Larnaca and a symbolic relic of the Island’s rich historical culture.