Grand Mosque of Birgi explained

Grand Mosque of Birgi
Native Name:Aydınoğlu Mehmet Bey Camii
Native Name Lang:tr
Religious Affiliation:Islam
Festivals:-->
Organizational Status:-->
Municipality:Birgi, Ödemiş
State:İzmir
Country:Turkey
Map Type:Turkey
Map Size:220px
Map Relief:yes
Coordinates:38.2567°N 28.0672°W
Architecture Type:mosque
Established:1312
Date Destroyed:-->
Elevation Ft:-->

Birgi Grand Mosque (tr|Aydınoğlu Mehmet Bey Camii), also called "Aydınoğlu Mehmet Bey Mosque", is a historical mosque in Turkey.

The mosque is in the Birgi town in Ödemiş ilçe (district) of İzmir Province.

Aydınids was an Anatolian beylik (principality) in the 14th century in West Anatolia. Birgi, now a village was the capital of the beylik. The mosque was commissioned by Mehmet, the first ruler of the beylik.

Architecture

The mosque was built in 1312.[1] [2] It is an example of a typical Seljukid mosque. The most notable sections of the mosque are the fine woodworking mimbar which has no metallic nail [3] and the mihrab which is made of dark cyan marble.[4] The lion statue in the south eastern corner of the building is also interesting for statues are rare in Islamic architecture and this statue is a spolia from a Lydian building.

Mimbar gate theft

In 1993 the gate of the mimbar disappeared and it was discovered by a British tourist in British Museum. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism purchased the gate and in 1996 it returned to where it belongs.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Foss, Clive . The Beginnings of the Ottoman Empire . Oxford University Press . 2022 . 978-0-19-263477-1 . 148 . en.
  2. Web site: Kalfazade . Selda . 2012 . ULUCAMİ [Birgi] ]. 2023-02-01 . TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi . tr.
  3. https://www.visitizmir.org/tr/sayfa/inanc/camiler/sehir-cevresindeki-camiler/aydinoglu-mehmet-bey-camisi-birgi-ulu-cami-oedemis Visitİzmir page
  4. https://www.izmirdergisi.com/tr/turizm/inanc-turizmi/1579-beylikler-doneminin-birgi-deki-muhru İzmir periodical