Oil Mosque

Yağ Mosque
Yağ Mosque
Basic information
Location	Adana, Turkey
Geographic coordinates	36°59′01″N 35°19′37″E / 36.98361°N 35.32694°ECoordinates: 36°59′01″N 35°19′37″E / 36.98361°N 35.32694°E
Affiliation	Islam
District	Seyhan
Region	Mediterranean
Status	Active
Architectural description
Architectural type	Mosque
Architectural style	Seljukid Grand Mosque
Completed	1501

Yağ Mosque (or English: Oil Mosque) is a historical mosque located in the old town of Adana at Alimunif Street.^[1]

History

Historian, Bertrandon da la Brokiel, noted of St. Jean Church at the location of the mosque. Evliya Çelebi also mentions an old church that used to exist. The mosque was built in 1501 on the ruins of the church by Ramazanoğlu Halil Bey and named originally Eski Mosque (Old Mosque).^[2] Later, his son Piri Mehmet Paşa has built its minaret in 1525 and its madrasah in 1558.^[3] The mosque later became known as Yağ Mosque due to the oil bazaar that was just next to it.^[4]

Architecture

Mosque

Yağ Mosque is built in the Seljukid Grand Mosque style. The praying area has a rectangular shape and it is split into five naves with four rows of columns. The mihrab of the mosques is the apsis that remained from former church. The gate of the mosques is of yellow and black colored stone and is an important work of art.^[5]

Madrasah

The Yağ Mosque Medrese is located in the courtyard of the mosque. There are classrooms, cells (bedrooms) and a kitchen in the madrasah. Classrooms are covered with domes and cells have cradle arches. Arcades in front of the cells are great samples of wooden artwork.

See also

• Islamic architecture
• List of mosques
• Seljukid architecture
• Ottoman architecture

References

1. Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey
2. "History of Adana".
3. "Eski Camii(Yağ Camisi) (Turkish)". Kenthaber Kültür Kurulu. Retrieved 4.2.2008. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
4. "Adana Tarihi Yerler (Turkish)". Adana Governship Department of Tourism and Culture.
5. "A look into Adana's history by Incirlik Air Base".