Nebi Mosque

Nebî Camii is a historic mosque located in the Sur district of Diyarbakır. The mosque, built in the 15th century during the Akkoyunlu period, is also known as the Prophet Mosque.

History

Although the inscription dated 936/1530 on its minaret indicates that a person named Kasap Hacı Hüseyin from Diyarbakır commissioned that part, it is not known with certainty who built the main building. However, the stone‑covered single‑dome mosque is thought to be a 15th‑century Akkoyunlu work. It underwent some changes in the 16th century. Because many of the inscriptions on the minaret contain the words of Muhammad quoted with the expression “kāle'n-nebî,” the structure has been called Nebî Camii, Prophet Mosque or Câmiu'n-nebî. According to sources, the mosque originally occupied a very large area when first built. Previously it consisted of two sections called the Hanafi and Shafi'i parts, while today the building in which the mosque stands belongs to the Shafi'is. During World War I the part assigned to the Hanafi school was used as a barracks, and consequently the tiles and other areas of this section were damaged. In 1927 the Hanafi section collapsed completely and in 1955 this section and the minaret were demolished by the municipality and incorporated into the then‑widened Gazi Avenue. In the same year the minaret was moved from beside the entrance gate to its present location and the mosque was given its current appearance. In 1960 the remaining parts were repaired by the General Directorate of Foundations and the minaret was rebuilt in its present place. In addition, attached to the minaret there was a courtyard with an arched gate, small shops to its east, and a section to the north that housed a madrasa that still exists today.

Architecture

Nebî Camii is built of the black basalt stone characteristic of Diyarbakır, and on the façade of the last prayer hall and on its minaret a row of white and a row of black basalt stones were used, creating a varied pattern that prevents a uniform appearance. It was constructed on a six‑support plan layout. In the last prayer hall the columns are cylindrical, and the column capitals have been cut into a truncated pyramid shape with beveled edges. The vault’s pointed arches are emphasized by surrounding gutters and decorative mouldings. The Hanafi part, located east of the Shafi'i part, has a transverse rectangular plan, four bays, a colonnade and an arched scheme, while the Shafi'i part is, in plan and architecture, a transverse rectangular plan covered by a dome. The mosque’s minaret is surrounded by four corners and ornate inscriptions. The single‑storey building opens to the outside through a single door on the north façade facing the courtyard. In addition, there are a total of eight window openings, two on each façade. The muezzin’s chamber above the entrance gate is accessed from the eastern window.