Mosques

NIGDE ALAADDIN MOSQUE

Nigde Alaaddin mosque, one of the early examples of the Classical Seljuk Architecture, was built in 1223 upon the orders of Abdullah bin Besare during the time of Alaaddin Keykubat. Its architects were Siddik bin Mahmut and his brother Gazi.
Its portal, found on the east side and higher than the walls, is where the embellishments are most dense. It is filled in with geometrical motifs (semicircles, semi stars, stars with eight points, etc.) leaving very little void. The portal has a seven lined ‘mukarnas’. The three lined inscription on the niche bears information about who had the mosque built and when it was built. The two relief's on either side of the inscription are considered to be women's heads or lion heads by researchers. The edges of the marble stones on the entrance door with a low arch are like that of a saw. Next to the minaret on the northeast corner is a smaller second portal. The mosque has a rectangular, though close to a square, plan. The building is divided into three naves with two lines of piers, each line consisting of 4. The ceiling of the middle nave, larger than the ones on the sides, is decorated with four lines of ‘mukarnas’ and has an oculus. The ceiling in front of the mihrab has three domes. The dome to the west has sequences with ‘mukarnases’ of 8 lines. However, the dome to the east is placed on two pendentives and two sequences. The mihrab has 5 corners and ‘mukarnases’. The borders on the sides are mainly decorated with geometrical motifs. Alaaddin Mosque is one of the best examples of Seljuk mosques with its stonework, originality of its minaret, the great number of interior domes and its oculus.

NIGDE SUNGUR BEY MOSQUE

The mosque was built in 1335 upon the order of Seyfeddin Sungur AGA during the reign of Ebusaid, the Ilkhanid Sultan. Sungur Bey Mosque , built from cut stone in a rectangular plan, reflects the characteristics of the Seljuk period with its eastern and southern portals and stone carvings on the mihrab. Among the decorative motifs, the lion, heads of griphons, wild birds, horse and gazelle are outstanding. In addition to these, the two headed eagle above the entrance arch with the southern portal and the decorations in gothic style found on both of the portals are also interesting. The mosque was originally supported by three low arches and had three naves. The larger nave in the middle was covered with three domes and each of the side naves with transversal vaults. Due to the fire in the mosque in the 18th century, the upper part was supported with wooden poles and lost its originality. In the mother of pearl encrusted wooden mihrab inscription, now found in the Nigde Disari Mosque, it is written that the mosque was built by Hoca Ebubekir upon the orders of Seyfeddin Sungur Bey during the reign of the Great Sultan Ebusaid. The Sungur Bey Mosque is special due to its portal with double minarets, and the use of the Gothic and Islamic styles together.