The Kesik Minaret Mosque is one of the landmarks of Antalya. The Muslim house of prayer reflects the turbulent history of this part of Turkey. Even today, the different architectural styles can be seen, which leads the visitor through the eras. In the 19th century a fire destroyed the prayer room. Since then, the mosque bears this name, which translates: Mosque with the broken minaret means.
A sacred place since ancient times
Since ancient times, the place where the mosque stands today has been a sacred place. Romans built a temple on this site. After the partition of the Roman Empire, the early Christian Byzantines used Roman building materials from the 7th century and expanded the building into a five-nave basilica. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Following the ancient Greek model, the ceiling is constructed as a barrel vault, dividing the adjacent convent in the middle. Large parts of the complex were severely damaged by the Arab invasion in the same century.
The influence of history
It was not rebuilt until the 9th century. Over the centuries, the building was extended several times. Through its turbulent history, the building was sometimes a Christian church, sometimes Muslims used it as a house of prayer. Extensive renovation work took place under the Rum Seljuk Sultanate. The portal on the western side and the podium date from this period. The minaret was built in the 13th century with a square ground plan.
Sultan Korkud (1469 - 1513), to whom Mohamed is said to have appeared in a dream, had the holy site finally converted into a mosque after a pilgrimage to Mecca. In some sources it is therefore also called the Korkut Mosque. A polygonal base with a columnar minaret was built over the old ground plan.
Contemporary witness of cultural history
Since the devastating fire in the 19th century, in which only the damaged minaret was preserved, it was last restored in 1974. The Kesik Minaret Mosque is one of the witnesses of the centuries that have been preserved in Antalya. For the past two years, restorers have been trying to save this cultural asset from decay. In 2019, the balcony for the muetzzin was repaired. Work on the roof of the minaret is still ongoing.
