HACI BAYRAM MOSQUE
Hacı Bayram-ı Veli
Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, whose real name was Numan-bin Koyunluca Ahmet was born in the
Solfasol village of Ankara in 1352 (753 H) .
He is the founder of the Bayrami sect, a sufi poet and
composer of hymns. Upon competing his education in Ankara and Bursa, he started to teach
at the theological school called Karamedrese in Ankara, which was built by a philantrophic
lady called Meklike Hatun.
Hacı Bayram Mosque
It is located in the Ulus section of Ankara next to the Augustus
temple.
Originally built in 1427/28 AD (831 H), the mosque as it stands today shows the
characteristics of late 17th century and 18th century mosques.
It has a lengthwise rectangular plan and the sections at north and west are later
additions. At the south east wall of the mausoleum, there is a two - gallery minaret with
a square plan, stone base and brick body.
There is an inscription of Word of the God (kelime-i tevhid) in large Arabic
calligraphy (sülüs) on the southern wall of the late-comer's section.
Single interior space is covered with a wooden ceiling. The hexagonal large rosette in
the center of the ceiling is framed with six rows of flowered borders. The same rosette in
smaller scale can be seen on the central rectangular panel of the ceiling of the annexed
section west to the women's section. The edges of the ceiling of the inner space of the
mosque are decorated with flower patterned cornices. The same type of cornices are also
used in the women's section.
The lower windows of the mosque are rectangular and have iron grids. On the exterior
they are bordered with niches with pointed arches. Upper windows are pointed arched, have
plaster gratings and stained glass and bordered with chiseled plant motives.
On the interior, Kütahya tiles are placed up to the top
of the windows. After the tiles, transition to plain wall is made with a border of
chiseled palmette.
The plaster mihrab is built with a molding technique and is in the form of
stalactite niches. Pieces from Koran are inscribed in five rows on the pediment of the
Mihrab.
The Word of God can be seen on Mihrab borders as decoration. Colored Mimbar is made
with false kündekari technique and displays a fine workmanship.
The painted engravings on wood are made by the engraver Nakkaş Mustafa. Two
inscriptions on kıble side indicate that the mosque was restored in 1714 by one
of the grandsons of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, Mehmet Baba.
Hacı Bayram Mausoleum
The mausoleum which is dated as 1429, is next to the mihrab wall of the mosque.
It is a structure with a square plan, octagonal drum and a leaded dome covers it. The
front façade is marble. Portal is particularly defined on the façade. It has a slided
arch decorated with black and white marbles in a rectangular frame and on the inside there
is an entrance door arch decorated with interlocking colored stones in a zigzag pattern.
The wooden exterior and interior entrance doors are at Ankara Ethnography Museum. The
window to the left of the portal is bordered with a multi colored fries and has iron
grills. This is one of the best examples of 15th century mausoleums of Ankara.
There is another mausoleum in the garden of the mosque which has octagonal plan and a
dome. This work which is known as Osman Fazıl Paşa Mausoleum belongs to the 18th
century. |
