Yivli Minaret Mosque () is a historic mosque located in

Kaleiçi Kaleiçi is the historic city center of Antalya, located along the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in southern Turkey. Enclosed by ancient city walls and overlooking the old harbor, it represents the original core of the city. The area sho ...

, the old town center of

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Situated along Cumhuriyet Street near Kalekapısı Square, it is one of the city’s most important landmarks. Its fluted brick minaret, adorned with traces of blue tilework, has become a widely recognized symbol of Antalya.

History

The origins of the Yivli Minaret Mosque date back to the early 13th century. Following the

Seljuk Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * S ...

conquest of

in 1226, a mosque was constructed on the site of a ruined

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

church around 1230. This early structure reflected the Seljuk approach of integrating earlier architectural elements into new Islamic buildings. The

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

, which gives the mosque its name, was likely commissioned during the reign of Alaaddin Keykubad I (1220–1237), a ruler known for his extensive architectural patronage across

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

. The original mosque was either destroyed or fell into disrepair during the 14th century. In 1373, it was rebuilt by Mehmet Bey, a member of the

Hamidids Hamidids or Hamed dynasty ( Modern Turkish: ''Hamidoğulları'' or ''Hamidoğulları Beyliği'') also known as the Beylik of Hamid, was one of the 14th century Turkish Anatolian beyliks that emerged as a consequence of the decline of the Sultana ...

dynasty. The new design introduced a prayer hall covered with six domes, supported by columns incorporating ancient capitals. Over time, the mosque served various functions, including housing the Antalya Museum for a period in the 20th century. Restoration efforts were carried out in 1953 and 1961, with further extensive work completed between 2007 and 2010. During the latest restoration, historic water channels were uncovered beneath the structure, now visible through a glass floor section.

Architecture

The mosque has a rectangular plan and reflects early examples of multi-domed religious architecture in Anatolia. Its prayer hall is covered with six

domes A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

arranged in two rows, supported by twelve

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

topped with reused capitals, likely from

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

-era buildings. The walls are constructed of finely cut stone, and the interior features minimal decoration, consistent with early Seljuk aesthetic principles. The most distinctive element of the complex is its 38-meter-high minaret, composed of

red brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

and rising from a massive square stone base. The shaft is divided into eight fluted sections and was originally covered with

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue. The robi ...

and dark blue tiles, fragments of which are still visible today. Yivli Minaret is frequently compared to other fluted minarets in Turkey, such as those of the Burmalı Minaret in Amasya, Karahasan Mosque in Tire, and Gedik Ahmet Pasha Mosque in Afyonkarahisar. Despite similarities, Yivli Minaret distinguishes itself through its height, design, and historical significance. Today, it continues to serve as an active place of worship and remains a defining feature of Antalya’s skyline.

Gallery

File:Yivli Minare Mosque 02.jpg, General view of the Mosque and the town File:Antalya Fluted Minaret Mosque interior 14.jpg, The interior of the mosque File:Antalya Fluted Minaret Mosque interior 18.jpg, The interior of the mosque File:Antalya Yivli Minare Medrese in 2012 12.jpg, The garden of the complex File:Antalya Fluted Minaret Mosque minaret 02.jpg, The minaret

References

External links

*
Pictures of the mosque
*{{structurae, s0023588 Buildings and structures in Antalya Tourist attractions in Antalya History of Antalya Province Mosques in Antalya 14th-century mosques Muratpaşa District