Bergama Grand Mosque

Bergama Grand Mosque or Yıldırım Mosque, commissioned by Sultan Yıldırım Bayezid in 1399, is a historic mosque located in the district of Bergama, İzmir.

Construction

The mosque, which, according to its inscription, was commissioned by Sultan Bayezid I in 1399, was completed in the year 801 AH / 1398-1399 AD. The three‑line inscription reads: “This honorable mosque was commissioned by the sovereign of sovereigns, the commander of the Persians and Arabs (rulers), the helper of the mujahideen and veterans, Bayezid Khan, son of Murad Khan — may God keep his dominion eternal — in the year 801.” It is the only surviving sultan‑built mosque in İzmir, i.e., a mosque erected as a banî of the sultans.

It is situated on the southern slope of the hill where Pergamon stands, on the bank of the Selinos River, at the beginning of the road leading to the Tekke gorge. During its construction, ancient stones brought from Roman‑period ruins were used, as can be understood from a carved kantharos with a snake reclining on a vase that lies on a large four‑meter‑long stone placed in the northeast corner.

Architectural features

It is one of the last examples of the multi‑section basilica type in Ottoman architecture. This single‑minaret sultan‑built mosque is divided by four independent elephant‑foot supports into nine equally sized units. The prayer hall consists of three aisles perpendicular to the mihrab wall. The mihrab features marble decoration bearing strong Seljuk influences; in plan it shows similarities to the Burmalı Minare Mosque in Amasya, a Seljuk‑period work. The central aisle is covered by three domes, while the side aisles are covered by cradle vaults. The central dome is 17 metres high, the other two are 15.5 metres high. The mosque’s minaret is located on the western façade.

In the following years the state of this worship place, which was in ruins, was recorded by the French traveler Charles Texier in 1832. In 1905, it was repaired through the efforts of Bergama district governor Kemal Bey and its minbar and mihrab were cleaned, but the minaret that was rebuilt fell from the eave line in a storm in November 1949. In the repair carried out in 1949/1950 on top of this destruction, madrasa rooms, a muḍarris and a mufti office were built; a stone fountain was also erected in the courtyard and the inscription on it belongs to the Bergama poet Aşki Efendi.