Temple, mosque, shrine · Amed, Bakur · First built 639
Situated within the ancient basalt walls of Amed (modern Amed), the Mosque of Amed – locally known as Mizgefta Mezin a Amedê – is more than a place of worship. It is a living chronicle of Kurdish cultural resilience, historical continuity, and architectural pride.
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
The mosque stands on foundations dating back to the early Islamic era. A first mosque was built soon after the cityʼs Muslim conquest in 639 CE, possibly on the site of an earlier Greek forum and Byzantine church, embodying centuries of cultural layers. The core structure was rebuilt by Seljuk Sultan Malik‐Shah I between 1091–1092, modeled on Damascus’s iconic Great Mosque, and constructed using local black basalt – a symbol of Kurdish craftsmanship and adaptation. The mosque features a grand courtyard (~63 × 30 m) surrounded by arcades, blending Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman elements with Kurdish stonework. It has a striking portal that depicts a lion attacking a bull, representing power, protection, and spiritual submission as worshippers enter the sacred space. And the ensemble itself includes two historic madrasas - Mesudiye (1193) and Zinciriye (1189) - as well as an Ottoman ablution fountain added in 1849, attesting to continuous investment by local Kurdish and Ottoman patrons.
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
Inside the mosque.
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
For Kurds in Amed, the mosque is not just a religious symbol but a pillar of identity, an enduring sign of Kurdish urban life, tradition, and spiritual authority within a city known historically as Amid/Amed. In 2022, Kurdish activists successfully pressured authorities to add Kurmanji and Zazaki translations to the mosque’s visitor board - affirming its Kurdish linguistic and cultural centrality.
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
The mosque is recognized as the oldest in Anatolia, possibly the entire Republic of Turkey, alongside the Shaddadid Mosque, and is considered by some scholars as the fifth-holiest in Islam due to its lineage and regional connections.
Its location within the UNESCO-listed Amed Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape cements its role in a broader Kurdish heritage context, where tradition, urbanism, and spiritual legacy converge.
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mosque_of_Diyarbakır?
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
https://atlasislamica.com/great-mosque-of-diyarbakir/?
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/08042022?utm_
Posted by Zagrosian · 17 June 2025