Biga Çarşı Mosque

The Çarşı Mosque, also known as the Merkez Mosque, stands on the eastern side of Republic Square in the town center of Biga, Çanakkale province. It was originally built in the 15th century on the order of Gazi Umur Bey, but after later being damaged by fire, it was rebuilt in 1911 under the master builder Mehmet Sadık Usta of Kayseri, with Tahsin Ağa as architect and Osman Çavuş responsible for its woodwork, while its minaret was built by a local craftsman remembered as Rum Hristo. The rebuilt mosque follows a rectangular plan beneath a dome rising about 17 meters and can hold roughly 500 worshippers. Its minaret has 99 steps, recalling the 99 names of Allah in Islamic tradition, while the twelve-sided ablution fountain in its courtyard was added in 1907 to 1908. The mosque remains one of the central religious buildings of Biga's historic town core.