The Behram Pasha Mosque of Diyarbakır
- Hojîn Rostam
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
The Behram Pasha Mosque is one of the great Ottoman-era monuments of Diyarbakır — a stately sixteenth-century mosque in the old walled city, built of the region’s striking banded black basalt and pale limestone. Commissioned by an Ottoman governor of the city and associated with the celebrated imperial architect Sinan, it is the largest classical Ottoman mosque in Diyarbakır, a dignified work of domes, arches, and fine stonework. Standing in the southern quarter of the old city, it is a splendid example of the imperial architecture that joined the city’s much older monuments.
A grand Ottoman mosque of black and white stone in the heart of old Amed, the Behram Pasha is a monument of the city’s classical age. This profile looks at the mosque, its builder, and its design.
Key Takeaways
• The Behram Pasha Mosque is a 16th-century Ottoman mosque in Diyarbakır.
• It was commissioned by Behram Pasha, an Ottoman governor of the city.
• It is associated with the great imperial architect Sinan.
• It is built of the region’s banded black basalt and white limestone.
• It is the largest classical Ottoman mosque in the old city.
Quick Facts
Name: Behram Pasha Mosque (Mizgefta Behram Paşa)
Type: Ottoman congregational mosque
Country / Region: Turkey (Bakur)
City: Diyarbakır (Amed), Sur district
Built: c. 1564–1572
Commissioned By: Behram Pasha, Ottoman governor
Architect: Associated with Sinan
Material: Banded black basalt and white stone
Contents
Where Is the Mosque?
The Behram Pasha Mosque stands in the southern part of the old walled city of Diyarbakır, the Sur district, not far from the Mardin Gate in the great city ramparts. It is one of many fine mosques in the old city, joining far older monuments such as the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır and the curious Four-Legged Minaret. Set on a paved square with a fountain at its centre, the mosque is a landmark of the southern quarter of Amed.
An Ottoman Governor’s Mosque
The mosque was commissioned by Behram Pasha, who served as the Ottoman governor-general of the province of Diyarbakır in the sixteenth century. Building began around 1564 and was completed by about 1572, as recorded in the inscription above its entrance. In the centuries after the Ottomans brought the region under their rule, governors and officials endowed mosques, baths, and other works to adorn their cities, and the Behram Pasha Mosque is among the grandest such foundations in Diyarbakır, a statement of the patron’s piety and standing in the great frontier city.
The Hand of Sinan
The mosque is associated with Mimar Sinan, the most celebrated architect of the Ottoman age, who served the sultans at the height of the empire and designed many of its most famous buildings. The Behram Pasha Mosque is mentioned among his works, though scholars think his role here may have been to approve plans from the capital that were then carried out by a local architect, as was common for provincial commissions. Whatever the precise part Sinan played, the mosque reflects the refined classical Ottoman style of his era, brought to the stone traditions of Diyarbakır.
Black and White Stone
Like the great walls and other monuments of Diyarbakır, the mosque makes striking use of the region’s contrasting stone — dark basalt banded with pale limestone, the technique known as ablaq, used across its arches and facades to bold decorative effect. The prayer hall is a domed cube fronted by a columned portico opening onto a square, and the interior was enriched with fine tilework and carving. This marriage of the imperial Ottoman plan with the distinctive black-and-white masonry of Diyarbakır gives the mosque a character all its own.
The Mosque Today
Today the Behram Pasha Mosque remains an active and admired place of worship and one of the notable historic monuments of the old city, drawing both worshippers and visitors interested in its architecture. Like other monuments of the region it has needed care and repair over the years, including after recent earthquakes. Standing in its square in the southern quarter of Amed, the mosque endures as a fine example of the classical Ottoman architecture that forms one rich layer in the deep and many-stranded heritage of the great city on the Tigris.
Timeline
c. 1564 — Behram Pasha, governor of Diyarbakır, begins the mosque.
c. 1572 — The mosque is completed, as recorded in its inscription.
classical era — It stands as the largest Ottoman mosque in the old city.
modern times — The mosque is repaired and maintained over the years.
today — The Behram Pasha Mosque remains an active and admired monument.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Behram Pasha Mosque?
It is a 16th-century Ottoman mosque in the old walled city of Diyarbakır, the largest classical Ottoman mosque there, built of banded black and white stone and associated with the architect Sinan.
Who built the Behram Pasha Mosque?
It was commissioned by Behram Pasha, the Ottoman governor-general of Diyarbakır, and built between about 1564 and 1572.
Where is it?
It stands in the Sur district, the old walled city of Diyarbakır in south-eastern Turkey, near the Mardin Gate.
Why is the stone black and white?
It uses the region’s dark basalt banded with pale limestone, the ablaq technique, giving it the striking black-and-white look characteristic of Diyarbakır’s architecture.
Related People, Places, and Topics
Ottoman architecture · Mimar Sinan · the old city of Amed · Diyarbakır · the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır · the Four-Legged Minaret.
References and Further Reading
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