Great Mosque of Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır Grand Mosque
Turkish: Cami-i Kebîr
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Location
Location	Sur, Diyarbakır, Turkey
Location of the mosque in Turkey.
Geographic coordinates	37°54′44″N 40°14′9″E
Architecture
Type	Mosque
Style	Islamic, Seljuk
Groundbreaking	c. 1091

The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır (Turkish: Diyarbakır Ulu Camii or Cami-i Kebîr;^[1] Kurdish: Mizgefta Mezin a Amedê)^[2][3][4] was built in the late 11th century by the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I over an older mosque. According to some, it is the fifth holiest site in Islam after the Great Mosque of Damascus,^[5][6][7] which influenced its design.^[8][9][10] It can accommodate up to 5,000 worshippers and hosts four different Islamic traditions.^[11]

History

Origins

The Great Mosque of Diyarbakir is the oldest mosque in Anatolia and possibly the oldest in Turkey.^[12][13] Its origins and development are complicated and still not fully understood today.^[14][15] A mosque was founded in this area in the 7th century after the Muslim conquest of the city in 639.^[16][15] Recent archeological studies have suggested that the present mosque stands over a part of what was previously the Roman forum of the city.^[17] According to traditional narratives, it also stands on the site of an earlier church built by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius in the 620s and dedicated to Saint Thomas.^[18][19]

A German translation of a medieval Muslim text written by Pseudo-Waqidi (so-called because it may not be al-Waqidi himself, but rather a later author), claims that when the city was conquered, its main church was partitioned to be shared between Muslims and Christians.^[20][21][22] Stories of Christian churches being partitioned in this manner are a recurring motif in Muslim narratives about the early Islamic conquests.^[23][24] In the case of Diyarbakir, this story has been accepted by some scholars (e.g. Creswell) and is widely repeated by locals and in popular narratives of the mosque's history.^[25][26]

The historicity of this story and the credibility of its text source have been questioned by some scholars due to uncertainty about the source's author, inconsistencies between its German and Arabic translations, and contradictions from other sources.^[27][24][22] Fatma Meral Halifeoğlu, Martine Assénat, and Jean-Charles Ducène have discounted the story as apocryphal.^[22][28] One of the contradictions from other sources is the account of medieval Muslim author Yaqut (12th–13th century), which appears to contradict Pseudo-Waqidi in stating that the first Muslim conquerors allowed the Christians of the city to keep all their churches but prevented them from building new ones.^[22] Among the other complications is the Zuqnin Chronicle, which records that the city's main church, built by Heraclius in 629, was fully restored by the Christian community in 770, long after the Muslim conquest.^[29][30] Another author, Theodotus (d. 698), mentions that the Muslims built a mosque after the conquest of the city.^[31] Nasir Khusraw wrote in 1045 that the city's main church was an impressive building that stood next to the mosque.^[32][33][22] These sources indicate that the church was still used by the Christian community during this time^[30] and do not mention it being shared with Muslims.^[34] One interpretation, supported by these sources, is that the original mosque was located next to the church and shared a platform with it, rather than sharing the same building, at least until the 11th century.^[35][33][36]

Construction of the present mosque

The current building dates from a Great Seljuk construction in the late 11th century and subsequent work during the 12th century.^[12][37] The Seljuks conquered the city in 1085.^[18] Works on the mosque are recorded by a series of inscriptions, most of which remain in situ but some of which have been moved over the years.^[38] The oldest inscription in the mosque is found on the western façade of the prayer hall; it names the Seljuk sultan Malik Shah, who commissioned the construction, and provides the date of construction as 1091–1092 CE (484 AH).^[39][40] The Seljuk mosque's layout is similar to and heavily influenced by that of the Great Mosque of Damascus, built in the early 8th century during the Umayyad period.^[41][37][12] This influence might be explained by the fact that Malik Shah also carried out restoration work on the Great Mosque of Damascus in 1082–1083, nine years prior to his work on the Great Mosque of Diyarbakir.^[37][42] Malik Shah rebuilt the Great Mosque of Diyarbakir as a means of bringing the prestige and glory from Damascus, the capital of Syria, to Diyarbakir in the south of Anatolia.^{[43][verification needed]}

In 1115^[a] the mosque was severely damaged by a fire caused by lightning.^{[44][22][45][46]} A second inscription on the façade of the prayer hall notes work that was done in 1155–1156.^[47] The mosque's minaret has an inscription with the date 1141,^[48] though it seems to refer to work being done on the western and eastern wings of the mosque.^[47]

The western and eastern wings of the mosque, which flank the main courtyard, are products of Inalid and Nisanid patronage in the 12th century. Both the Inalids and Nisanids were local dynasties under Seljuk suzerainty.^[48] These sections of the complex are also known as the East and West Maqsuras.^[17] The courtyard façade of the western wing contains two inscriptions: an inscription on the lower level bears the date 1117–1118, while one on the upper level contains the date 1124–1125 and names the son and grandson of Malik Shah.^[48] The eastern wing of the mosque, which also contains the main external entrance leading to the courtyard, bears an inscription dating it to 1163-1164, during the Nisanid period.^[49] The 1155–1156 inscription on the prayer hall façade also makes reference to this eastern section.^[47] The mosque's entrance portal was probably built in its current form between 1155 and 1178.^[47]

The elaborately-decorated western and eastern courtyard façades are both notable for the use of spolia from older Byzantine buildings, including columns, Corinthian capitals, friezes with vine motifs, and pieces of Greek inscriptions.^[50][51] They appear to have been used deliberately to create a new and consistent decorative program for the courtyard. They were created under the supervision of Hibatallah of Gurgan, the only recorded architect of the mosque, who also completed the prayer hall in 1155-1156.^[52]

Later additions and restorations

During the Artuqid period, two madrasas were built and added to the mosque complex. The Zinciriye Medrese, dated to 1198, is located nearby as a separate unit.^[16] The Mesudiye Medrese, which occupies part of the north side of the courtyard, was built between 1193–1194 and 1223.^{[47][15][53][b]} The courtyard façade of this madrasa is preceded by a portico incorporating spolia of thick antique columns. This was most likely added at the same time as the madrasa, around or before 1223.^[47]

Courtyard of the mosque in a 1919 photo

After the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1515, a second, smaller prayer hall, known as the Şafi kısmı (the "Shafi'i part") was built next to the mosque's entrance, on the courtyard's north side, to serve the Shafi'i legal school. It is dated by an inscription to 1528–1529.^[48][47] The central nave of the prayer hall, much of the hall's interior, and the pitched roof covering it were probably all redone in Ottoman times.^[47] Later renovations include additions from the 18th century under the Ottomans, such as the stone used in the mihrab set in the middle of the qibla wall.^[54] The current minaret was rebuilt in 1839. The shadirvan (fountain) in the center of the courtyard was added in 1849.^[13]

Architecture

Courtyard

Courtyard of the mosque, which has undergone many renovations (2016 photo)

The courtyard of the mosque is bound on both the east and west sides by porticoes. Its floor is paved with basalt blocks, with the mosque located on the south side of the courtyard.^[54] The main entrance of the mosque can be found through a portal on its eastern side.^[51] The mosque's eastern and western porticoes each has two stories. Both porticoes own intricate and beautiful stone carvings. The north façade is shorter compared to the other two facades and contains only one story. The south façade, on the other hand, is divided into three unique sections. Two sections are lateral arms, each being only one story high. The two arms are then split in the center by a section that rises more than twice the height of the arms.^[40]

Kufic inscriptions found on the building's exteriors record in detail the rebuilding and additions made to the complex throughout its long history. Lavish carving and decoration of the columns in the courtyard are one of the distinguishing features of the Great Mosque. The western arcade of the courtyard includes the first use of the broken arch.^{[citation needed]}

Eastern façade of the courtyard, with columns and carved decoration (2020 photo)

The columns of the courtyard's facades made from four rock types; pre-Tertiary met ophiolite, Eocene limestones, Miocene limestones, and Poli-Quaternary basalts.^[55] While the mosque underwent numerous reconstructions and suffered much damage since its establishment, the original columns were reused during the reconstruction periods of the Great Mosque. This was proven by the lengths of the columns existing in segmented forms, the varied column lengths, and the use of different materials the columns are made of. The columns were originally thought to be structural, but later considered to be in place for either partial support or simply for decoration.^[55]

The East Maqsura is a two story structure located on the eastern portion of the courtyard, and is covered with timber and a tile covered roof.^[54] Attached to the courtyard's northern side is the Mesudiye Madrasa.^[40]

Prayer hall

Interior of the prayer hall (Photo from 2014, after recent restoration)

The prayer hall is a wide interior space with three aisles running parallel to the qibla wall (the southern wall, which stands in the direction of prayer). The aisles are divided in the middle by a large central nave which runs perpendicular to the qibla wall. At the southern end of this nave, in the middle of the qibla wall, is the main mihrab. The nave's ceiling features painted decoration. On the outside, the prayer hall is topped by a pitched roof covered with lead plating. The roof of the central nave rises above the rest of the roof on either side. The prayer hall's courtyard façade has two wings on either side which are each pierced with two doors and five windows, while in the middle is a much taller façade corresponding to the central nave inside. The courtyard façade is decorated with garland and meander motifs, as well as an inscription with floral Kufic calligraphy.^{[40][54][dead link‍]}

Significance

The mosque, located in the center of the old city, is the largest and most important historic mosque in the Diyarbakir.^[56] It can accommodate up to 5,000 worshippers and is known for hosting four different Islamic traditions.^[57] According to some, it is the fifth holiest site in Islam.^{[5][58][6][7]} The mosque is also the oldest in Anatolia.^[12][13] The attached Mesudiye Medrese, founded in the 1190s, could be the oldest surviving madrasa to teach all four legal schools of Sunni Islam (the other oldest being the Mustansiriya in Baghdad).^[59]

Comparison with the Great Mosque of Damascus

Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, a building whose layout is comparable to the Great Mosque of Diyarbakir (2008 photo)

The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is one of the earliest mosques, and has remained culturally important. Many believe the mosque has served as a prototype for or inspired many mosques later built across the Islamic world, the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır included. While it is easy to spot the similarities between the two, significant differences also exist.

Unlike the Great Mosque of Damascus, the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır does not have a dome in the center of its prayer hall.^[60] Over the course of history, Turkey has altered the method of covering mosques with large domes, a tradition since the Ottoman period.^{[60][better source needed]} This is believed to establish a uniquely Turkish style, one that is distinct from the Arabic style of mosque architecture. The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır also has thick pillars instead of the round columns^[60] often found in Syria, and lacks certain ornamentation in its mosaics.

The Great Mosque of Diyarbakir is enclosed and its interior space is not visible from the outside. The mosque's minaret was possibly modeled after Christian bell towers.^{[61][failed verification]} The proportions of the courtyard and prayer hall, as well as the eastern entrance, and the plan of the prayer hall with its central nave and lateral arms are all similar to the Damascus mosque.

When the two mosques are compared, many consider the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır a more modest structure. Some find its architectural features more suitable for reasons of piety. This particular style can also be found in Aleppo and Hama Syria, and other cities of importance in the Islamic world.

Gallery

• 
  Mosque entrance, leading to the courtyard
• 
  Mosque entrance (closer view)
• 
  Carving above the entrance
• 
  Carving above the entrance
• 
  East façade of the courtyard
• 
  Detail of decoration on courtyard façade
• 
  Detail of decoration on courtyard façade
• 
  Detail of column in courtyard façade
• 
  Detail of column in courtyard façade
• 
  Detail of decoration on courtyard façade
• 
  Inscription detail on courtyard façade
• 
  Courtyard façade of the prayer hall
• 
  Interior of the prayer hall
• 
  Painted ceiling inside the mosque
• 
  West façade of the courtyard
• 
  Minaret of the mosque
• 
  Front façade of the Mesudiye Medresesi, seen from the mosque courtyard
• 
  Diyarbakır Mesudiye Medresesi Capital of column
• 
  Courtyard of the Mesudiye Medresesi
• 
  Mesudiye Medresesi: decoration in the courtyard
• 
  Mesudiye Medresesi: decoration in the courtyard
• 
  Mesudiye Medresesi: decoration in the courtyard

See also

• List of Turkish Grand Mosques

Notes

1. In some sources, the year 1155 is cited instead.^[12]
2. Some sources give the foundation date as 1198 instead of 1193–1194.^[16][48]

References

Citations

1. Yrd. Doç. Dr. Ibrahim Yilmazçelik (1995). XIX. yüzyilin ilk yarisinda Diyarbakir. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu.
2. Serokatiya Daîreya Çand û Turîzmê ya Sharedariya Bajarê Mezin a Amedê (2011). Rêbera geshtê ya Amedê. Istanbul: Boyut Matbaacilik.
3. Kameel Ahmady, Richard Lim, Metin Çulhaoglu, Ilse Sturkenboom et al. (2009). East and Southeast Turkey: A traveller's Handbook. Union of Southeast Anatolia Region Municipalities (GABB). ISBN 6056051307, 671 pages.
4. Great Mosque of Diyarbakır Archived 20 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, archnet.org.
5. The Rough Guide to Turkey (10th ed.). Rough Guides. 2023. ISBN 978-1-83905-925-4.
6. Müslümanların 5. Haremi Diyarbakır Ulu Camii (Turkish) Archived 12 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine İnzar. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
7. The Southeastern Region's appeal Archived 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Zaman, 7 August 2009.
8. Diyarbakır Ulu Camii (Turkish)İftarSaati. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
9. DİYARBAKIR’IN CAMİ MİMARISININ KOMPOZİSYON ÖZELLİKLERİ (Turkish) isamveri. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
10. Büyük bir şaheser: Diyarbakır Ulu Camii (Turkish)YeniAkit. Posted 19 April 2018.
11. "100 manuscripts found during restoration of Diyarbakır's historic Ulu Mosque". Sunday's Zaman. 25 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
12. Huebner, Jeff W. (1995). "Diyarbakır (Diyarbakır, Turkey)". In Ring, Trudy; Salkin, Robert M.; La Boda, Sharon (eds.). International Dictionary of Historic Places: Southern Europe. Fitzroy & Dearborn Publishers. pp. 190–193. ISBN 978-1-884964-02-2.
13. Sözen, Metin; Akşit, İlhan (1987). The Evolution of Turkish Art and Architecture. Haşet Kitabevi. p. 34.
14. Andersen 2021, p. 186.
15. Hattstein, Markus; Delius, Peter, eds. (2011). Islam: Art and Architecture. h.f.ullmann. pp. 380–381. ISBN 9783848003808.
16. Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (2009). "Diyarbakır". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. pp. 17–18. ISBN 9780195309911.
17. Halifeoğlu & Assénat 2021.
18. Andersen 2021, p. 176.
19. Halifeoğlu & Assénat 2021, p. 142.
20. Guidetti 2016, pp. 38, 52.
21. Andersen 2021, p. 190.
22. Halifeoğlu & Assénat 2021, p. 144.
23. Guidetti 2016.
24. Andersen 2021.
25. Guidetti 2016, p. 38.
26. Andersen 2021, pp. 186, 191–192.
27. Guidetti 2016, pp. 36–38, 49–52.
28. Ducène 2018, p. 40.
29. Guidetti 2016, pp. 50, 52.
30. Andersen 2021, p. 184.
31. Guidetti 2016, pp. 50–51.
32. Guidetti 2016, pp. 49–50.
33. Andersen 2021, pp. 184–185.
34. Guidetti 2016, p. 51.
35. Guidetti 2016, p. 52.
36. Halifeoğlu & Assénat 2021, pp. 144–145.
37. Petersen, Andrew (1996). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. Routledge. p. 66. ISBN 9781134613663.
38. Halifeoğlu & Assénat 2021, p. 145.
39. Andersen 2021, p. 177.
40. "Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) - Discover Islamic Art - Virtual Museum". islamicart.museumwnf.org. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
41. Ettinghausen, Richard; Grabar, Oleg; Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn (2001). Islamic Art and Architecture: 650–1250 (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780300088670.
42. Andersen 2021, pp. 186–187.
43. Ekrem Akurgal; Léo Hilber (1980). The Art and architecture of Turkey. Rizzoli. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-8478-0273-9.
44. Andersen 2021, p. 185.
45. Ducène 2018.
46. Raby, Julian (2004). "Nur al-Din, the Qastal al-Shu'aybiyya, and the "Classical Revival"". In Necipoğlu, Gülru; Behrens-Abouseif, Doris; Contadinia, Anna (eds.). Essays in Honor of J.M. Rogers. Muqarnas. Vol. XXI. Brill. pp. 301–303. ISBN 978-90-04-13964-0.
47. Sinclair, Thomas Alan (1989). "Diyarbakır". Eastern Turkey: an architectural and archaeological survey. Vol. III. The Pindar Press. pp. 176–180. ISBN 0907132340.
48. Andersen 2021, p. 180.
49. Andersen 2021, p. 181.
50. Andersen 2021, pp. 180–181.
51. "Diyarbakır Ulu Camii". Archnet. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
52. Andersen 2021, p. 183.
53. Hillenbrand 1994, p. 215.
54. Municipality, Selcuklu. "GREAT MOSQUE OF DIYARBAKIR". www.selcuklumirasi.com. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
55. Kavak, Orhan; Dalkiliç, Neslihan; Toprak, Vedat (2011). "Geological and Architectural Investigation of Reused Rock Columns in the Great Mosque in Diyarbakir Old City (Turkey)". Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry. 11: 9–22. Bibcode:2011MAA....11....9K.
56. Göyünç, Nejat (1994). "DİYARBAKIR". TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (in Turkish). Retrieved 14 May 2023.
57. "100 manuscripts found during restoration of Diyarbakır's historic Ulu Mosque". Sunday's Zaman. 25 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
58. Akcay, Ahmet Sait (2 July 2016). "Muslims in Turkey observe Night of Power". Anadolu Post.
59. Hillenbrand 1994, pp. 214–215.
60. "ULU CAMII (Great Mosque) in Diyarbakir, Turkey". www.ne.jp. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
61. Gourlay, William (2020). The Kurds in Erdogan's Turkey; Balancing Identity, Resistance, and Citizenship. Edinburgh University Press.

Sources

• Andersen, Angela (2021). "The Tale of the Shared Church in Diyarbakir: Narrative Traditions of the Co-use of Places of Prayer by Muslims and Christians". In Baboula, Evanthia; Jessop, Lesley (eds.). Art and Material Culture in the Byzantine and Islamic Worlds: Studies in Honour of Erica Cruikshank Dodd. Brill. pp. 175–199. ISBN 978-90-04-45714-0.
• Ducène, Jean-Charles (2018). "Diyār Bakr chez les géographes musulmans". In Assénat, Martine (ed.). Les jardins de l'Hevsel, paradis intranquilles (in French). Institut français d’études anatoliennes. pp. 29–36. ISBN 978-2-36245-070-9.
• Guidetti, Mattia (2016). "3. The Contiguity of Churches and Mosques". In the Shadow of the Church: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria. Brill. pp. 36–70. ISBN 978-90-04-32883-9.
• Halifeoğlu, Fatma Meral; Assénat, Martine (2021). "The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır: a contribution to understanding the monumental development of a site from antiquity to the Arab conquest". Anatolian Studies. 71: 141–156. doi:10.1017/S0066154621000089. S2CID 235689795.
• Hillenbrand, Robert (1994). Islamic Architecture: Form, Function and Meaning. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-0479-1.

External links

• Media related to Great Mosque of Diyarbakır at Wikimedia Commons
• Extensive picture gallery of the mosque