Great Mosque of Koçhisar: An Artuqid Mosque in Türkiye
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
On this page4 sections
History
The Great Mosque of Koçhisar is a Sunni Islamic mosque in Kızıltepe, Türkiye, built under the Mardin Artuqids, a medieval Turkmen dynasty that ruled parts of southeastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia. Construction began during the rule of Yavlak Arslan, who governed from 1184 to 1200, and the mosque was completed in 1204–1205 by his brother Ebü’l-Feth Artuk Arslan, who ruled until 1239.
The mosque is also known as Kızıltepe Great Mosque and Dunaysır Great Mosque. It eventually stood outside the settlement and fell into ruin. The General Directorate of Foundations repaired it between 1967 and 1976, then began a further restoration in 2015. That work was completed in 2019, allowing the mosque to return to public worship.
Remains
Prayer Hall and Dome
The prayer hall is arranged with three naves, or longitudinal aisles, running parallel to the qibla wall, the wall oriented toward Mecca. Two additional naves extend in front of the mihrab, the prayer niche indicating the direction of prayer. A dome with a diameter of 9.75 is positioned before the mihrab. Squinches, architectural devices that turn the corners of a square or polygonal space into a base for a dome, support it.
Mihrab and Inscriptions
The mihrab and the interior walls carry finely carved inscriptions. These carved surfaces form part of the mosque’s surviving interior decoration and remain directly connected to its function as a place of Sunni Islamic worship.
