Great Mosque of Diyarbakır
Great Mosque of Diyarbakır, Mosque in Sur district, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
Description
The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır is a house of prayer in the Sur old town, built from black basalt stone that gives the structure a distinctive appearance. Inside, there are two prayer halls, two religious schools, a courtyard with an octagonal fountain, and various spaces for worship.
History
The building started as a Christian church in 639 and was later converted into a mosque. A major transformation occurred around 1091 when the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah I ordered significant changes to the structure.
Culture
Inscriptions on the walls come from different rulers—Seljuks, Artuqids, Akkoyunlu, and Ottomans—showing the many cultures that shaped this place. Visitors can see these names and symbols today, understanding how important this space was to different faith communities.
Practical
The building has two separate prayer areas, allowing followers of the Hanafi and Shafi schools to worship side by side. The courtyard is open for visitors to explore and provides a quiet spot to take in the architecture and details.
Did you know?
The courtyard holds an approximately 800-year-old sundial designed by Al-Jazari, a renowned medieval engineer and inventor. He taught at the adjoining religious school, and this instrument shows the technical skills that existed during his time.
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