Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital, which was built by Süleyman Shah's son Ahmet Şah and his wife Melike Turan Melek in 1228 during the Mengücek Principality of the Anatolian Seljuk State and reopened to worship and visit in May 2024 after the 9-year restoration process ended, fascinates with its architectural features.
The motifs in many parts of the complex, especially on the doors and columns, reflecting the rarest and finest examples of stonemasonry, made by masters from Ahlat and Tbilisi, attract attention.
The architect and sculptor of the crown gates of this complex, which consists of a mosque and a hospital and is unique in the Islamic world and history, is Ahlatlı Hürrem Şah; He is shown as a representative of Islamic Sufism in the field of art in the 12th and 13th centuries with the innovations he brought to the world of motifs, his genius in architectural design and especially his design of the gate of heaven on the qibla gate.
The work, which was included in the World Cultural Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1985, has the feature that none of the tens of thousands of motifs in the decorations, which are thought to be symmetrical when viewed from a distance but are essentially asymmetrical, repeat themselves.
It is stated that this feature means engraving on the stone that different beings in the universe are in harmony and balance.
The building, which gained importance with its architectural style and the balance and harmonious design of its ornamentation and covering systems, is also on the list of works worth seeing in the world.
The work, which was also visited by Evliya Çelebi and said, "In its praise, tongues are barren and pens are broken", is also described as the 'Alhambra of Anatolia'.
THEY COME FOR 'SHADE' DURING THE SUMMER SEASON
The work also stands out with the feature of creating a 4-meter-tall silhouette of a praying person, who appears at the west gate when the sun's rays come at a right angle between May and September, first reads the Quran, then stands with his hands tied.
Especially those who come between May and September visit the work to see and view this shadow, which forms at the west gate every day between 15.30 and 16.00.
During the summer months, most visits to the monument occur during these hours.
Visitors from both home and abroad are trying to immortalize this moment.
The building, which opened its doors after the largest restoration in history, which took approximately 9 years and was completed in 2024, broke a record in tourism by hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors in a short time.
'THE VISITORS ARE INCREASING DAY BY DAY'
Mustafa Yıldırım, who has been the volunteer host of the mosque for 16 years and explained the features of the work to visitors, stated that in the period between May and September, visitors mostly want to see the shadow formed at the west gate.
Yıldırım said, "This shadow attracted a lot of attention. The shadow reads the Quran at 15.30 and prays at 16.00. Our guests who come in the morning, after visiting Divriği, come at shadow time and see the shadow. They leave here happily. Shadow formation begins in May and ends in September. It is not possible to see this image in other months. In July and August, they see the mosque at 07.00 in the morning." "There is a shadow of a woman praying with her hand tied to her chest. Our visitors stay at the hotel and come to see it at 07:00 in the morning. Last year, nearly 300 thousand visitors came to this place, and this year it will reach 500 thousand," he said.
'SHADOW IS A MAGNIFICENT THING'
Fikri Çağlar Demirci, who came to visit the work from Istanbul, said, "When we heard about this place, we wanted to stop by and see it. It is a very impressive place. There is great architecture. The shadow is very impressive."
Stating that he came to visit the Grand Mosque for the first time, Mustafa Öztürk said, "It looks more beautiful than it is described. It is a wonderful place. I admire how they calculated and did this at that time."
Gönül Yıldız said, "I came for the first time. I am very happy that I came. It is a magnificent place. When you listen to the stories, you can't really visualize it, but it is a magnificent place. The shadow is also a magnificent thing. The spiritual values of a person increase even more. I am very pleased and I recommend this place to everyone. It is a must-see place."
Little visitor Sare Akar, who came from Antalya with her family, said, "It is a very beautiful place. I especially liked the shadow. I also took a photo of it. I am very happy. I will tell my friends about it."
