Divrigi Ulu Mosque and Hospital Darüssifa of Divrigi in Sivas
Hi everyone! We continue our blog series with a new one! In this post, we will focus on explaining one of the masterpiece examples of rich Turkey’s history; Divrigi Ulu Mosque and Darüssifa in Sivas!
Divriği Ulu Mosque is located in the Divriği Village of Sivas. Divrigi is approximately 170 km from Sivas city center. It is located in Eastern Anatolia. This building, known as Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital, is a complex consisting of a mosque, a hospital, and a tomb.
The building, which was included in the Unesco World Heritage List in 1985, is one of the rare stone workshops of the period. The most important feature of the building is that; it looks very symmetrical when viewed from the outside and is decorated with thousands of asymmetric ornaments when looked closely.
This masterpiece stands out with its glorious and harmonious architecture is among the works that history lovers should see with its architecture, style, and especially thousands of different decorations. Divriği mosque, one of the most admired examples of Anatolian Seljuks, was built by Ahmet Şah, the son of Süleyman Şah, the ruler of Mengücek.
The hospital part was built by Ahmet Şah’s wife Turan Melek. The chief architect of this complex, which was completed between 1228 and 1248, is Ahlatlı Hürrem Shah. Another prominent part of the Divriği mosque is its minbar, which is the same age as the mosque and has magnificent woodwork that took 13 years to build.
There are a total of 4 entrance gates to this monumental building. The stonework on each door is completely independent of each other and has deep meanings. Heaven symbols on the monumental Heaven gate are extraordinarily depicted.
The balance column in the crown door used for the entrance of the hospital was placed in the middle of the door to preserve the architectural balance of the work. The human shadows that appear at the western entrance door, praying and reading the Qur’an, are examples of the keen intelligence and tastes of the masters.
Final Thoughts
Eastern Anatolian Turkey, not a destination that travelers are often preferred. Among the main reasons for this; It can be said that it is located in the middle of Turkey (a little close to the Syria and Iraq borders), and transportation and accommodation facilities are not that sufficient.
The fact that this region is not open to tourism like Western Turkey, has caused it to remain quite untouched and people can still continue their traditional lives today. This characteristic of the region makes it very attractive for visitors who like local and traditional areas. If you are such a traveler and you happen to be in Sivas, Divriği Ulu Mosque is one of the best options you can explore!
Turkey has a larger and richer cultural structure you can imagine. There are hundreds or even thousands of historical and cultural places that can be visited and explored; Istanbul, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Pergamum, etc. Continue reading our blog posts and benefiting from useful information to plan your trip smoothly. If you ever need help with creating your itinerary or have questions, do not hesitate to contact our team!
If you liked our posts, do not forget to share it with your friends!
CATEGORIES
