Great Mosque of Harran: An Umayyad Mosque in Turkey
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Umayyad
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
History
The Great Mosque of Harran, also known as the Ulu Mosque, is a mosque in Harran, in Turkey’s Şanlıurfa Province. It serves Sunni Muslims, who belong to Islam’s largest major branch. Marwan II, the final caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, built it between 744 and 750. The Umayyads were an Islamic ruling dynasty that governed a large caliphate from 661 to 750. The mosque is regarded as the oldest in Turkey built in the Islamic architectural tradition.
Mongol forces destroyed the mosque in 1269. It remained in ruins for approximately 800 years, until restoration began in 2019. The ruined mosque has one minaret.
