Saray Mosque

Saray Mosque is an old mosque located in the town of Ünye, in the Hamidiye neighborhood, facing Cumhuriyet Square. It is known as the oldest standing mosque in the town of Ünye.

The rectangular‑plan building, constructed of Ünye stone, according to its inscription was commissioned in Hijri 1132 (Gregorian 1719/1720) by a person named Kondura / Gondoroğlu Hacı Ahmed, who is thought to have been a captain. The mosque was most likely known by the name of its founder. After the Süleyman Pasha Palace was built nearby in 1808 and members of the palace began to come here for worship, the mosque became known by its present name. The structure was restored by the Ministry of Culture in 2006‑2007.

The courtyard of Saray Mosque was used as a cemetery. In this cemetery there were about twelve graves thought to belong to Hacı Ahmed and his relatives. According to one source these graves were removed and a toilet was built in accordance with a project tendered by the General Directorate of Foundations. There used to be a well in the mosque’s courtyard. In 1965 a fountain was built on the site of this well. The mosque formerly had a wooden minaret. In the early 1940s the mosque was used for a period as a prison. In a letter written by the then head of religious affairs Şerafettin Yaltkaya to the prime minister in 1946 it is recorded that Saray Mosque had been used as a prison for years, that its continued use despite many petitions had become a matter of public complaint, and that it should be vacated promptly. During the period when the building was used as a prison the wooden minaret was demolished. The construction of the present stone minaret was completed in the 1960s.

Saray Mosque is built of cut stone and consists of a sanctuary and a women's gallery. The mosque has two windows on the north and south façades and three windows on the east and west façades. Some windows have flower‑motif decorations on both sides of the lintels and sills. The mosque’s later‑added minaret has a single balcony. The building’s broken roof is covered with tiles. The entrance door on the north side of the mosque is double‑leafed and made of wood. The mosque’s lintel is located above the door frame. The women’s gallery is set on four wooden posts. The mihrab and minbar of Saray Mosque are made of stone. The mihrab has a pointed arch surrounded by carved flower motifs, and the minbar is decorated with vegetal motifs.