Ala Mosque: A Byzantine Church Converted into a Mosque and Madrasa
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Classical
- Eras represented
- Classical, Medieval
- Civilizations
- Byzantine
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
On this page5 sections
History
Byzantine beginnings
Ala Mosque is a former Byzantine church and monastery in central Kadirli, Osmaniye Province, Türkiye, with origins in the fifth century. Its earliest phase belonged to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire.
Dulkadirid conversion
In 1489, Kasım Bey, a ruler of the Dulkadirid principality in Anatolia, captured Kadirli and converted the building into a mosque and madrasa, an institution for Islamic religious learning. It was first named Alaüddevle Mescit after Kasım Bey’s father, Alaüddevle Bozkurt, also a Dulkadirid ruler. The name later shortened to Ala. During Dulkadirid rule, a minbar, the pulpit used for sermons, and a minaret, a tower associated with a mosque, were added. The mosque is affiliated with Sunni Islam, a major branch of Islam.
Ottoman and modern use
During the nineteenth century, the building served as an Ottoman Army depot. It returned to use as a mosque after 1865, then was abandoned in 1924, following the establishment of the Turkish Republic. Restoration began in 2012 and was completed in July 2020.
Remains
The mosque stands in central Kadirli, east of the Savrun River, with a Roman necropolis to its east. The original building measured 33 m long and 19.5 m wide. The mosque has one minaret.
