Ala Mosque

Ala Mosque
Ala Camii
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Branch/traditionSunni
Location
MunicipalityKadirli
StateOsmaniye
CountryTurkey
Ala Mosque is located in Turkey
Ala Mosque
Shown within Turkey
Geographic coordinates37°22′23″N 36°06′10″E / 37.3731°N 36.1028°E / 37.3731; 36.1028
Architecture
Typemosque
Date established1489
Completed5th century
Specifications
Length33 m
Width19.5 m
Minaret(s)1

Ala Mosque (Turkish: Ala Camisi) is a historical mosque in Kadirli, Osmaniye Province, Turkey.

Ala Mosque is in Kadirli ilçe (district) of Osmaniye Province. There is a Roman necropolis to the east of the mosque.[1]

It was a Byzantine church and monastery built in the 5th century. After the city was captured by Kasım Bey of Dulkadirids in 1489, it was converted into a mosque and a madrasa. A mimbar and a minaret were added by the Dulkarids.[2] It was initially named Alaüddevle Mescit after Kasım Bey's father Alaüddevle Bozkurt.[3] Later, the name was shortened to "Ala". During the 19th century, Ala Mosque was used as an Ottoman Army depot, and after 1865 it was restored as a mosque. In 1924, during the Turkish Republic era, it was abandoned.[2] Beginning by 2012, the building underwent a restoration.[1] Which was finished in July 2020.[4]

According to Richard Batliss, the dimensions of the original building was 33 m × 19.5 m (108 ft × 64 ft).

References

  1. ^ a b Report by Engin Yüksel and Ayşegül Yüksel (in Turkish)
  2. ^ a b Report by Richard Bayliss
  3. ^ Osmaniye governor's page (in Turkish)
  4. ^ "Osmaniye'deki tarihi Ala Camisi 96 yıl sonra cemaatine kavuşuyor".