The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır: Ulu Cami of Amed
- Mehmet Özdemir
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır — the Ulu Cami, or Mizgefta Mezin in Kurdish — is one of the oldest and most important mosques in the whole region, a venerable house of prayer at the heart of the ancient walled city of Diyarbakır. Built largely in the era of the Great Seljuks upon a site sacred since antiquity, it is famous for its remarkable courtyard, lined with two storeys of arcades made from the reused columns and carved stones of older civilisations. Solemn and grand in its dark stone, it is a treasure of the region’s deep history.
A mosque built from the stones of empires, the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır gathers many ages into one courtyard. This profile looks at its history, its architecture, and its place in the city.
Key Takeaways
• The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır is one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia and the region.
• It stands in the heart of the ancient walled old city of Diyarbakır.
• Its present form dates largely to the Great Seljuk era in the late 11th century.
• Its courtyard reuses columns and carved stone from older Roman and Byzantine buildings.
• It was built on a site that had been sacred since antiquity.
Quick Facts
Name (Kurdish): Mizgefta Mezin (Ulu Cami)
Type: Historic great mosque
Country / Region: Turkey (Bakur)
City: Diyarbakır (Amed)
Present Form: Great Seljuk era, late 11th century
Famous For: Arcaded courtyard of ancient columns
Built On: An older sacred site
Material: Dark basalt and pale stone
Contents
Where Is the Great Mosque?
The Great Mosque stands in the heart of the old walled city of Diyarbakır, the great city on the Tigris that Kurds call Amed, within the famous circuit of black basalt ramparts. Nearby lie the city’s ancient churches, bazaars, and mansions, and below the walls spread the Hevsel Gardens along the river, crossed by the historic Ten-Eyed Bridge. The mosque sits at the very centre of the old city’s life, as it has for many centuries.
A Mosque of Many Ages
The Great Mosque rises on ground that has been sacred for a very long time. Tradition holds that the site held a temple in antiquity and later a great church, which after the coming of Islam was adapted for Muslim worship. The mosque took much of its present form in the late eleventh century under the Great Seljuks, and it was repaired and added to by the many dynasties that ruled the city afterward. So old and revered is it that it has sometimes been spoken of among the most important mosques of the wider Islamic world, a place of deep sanctity in the region.
The Courtyard of Columns
The glory of the Great Mosque is its large rectangular courtyard, framed on two sides by striking two-storey facades of arches and columns. Unlike the courtyards of most mosques, these arcades are built largely from the spolia of earlier buildings — ancient columns, capitals, and carved blocks taken from the Roman and Byzantine structures that once stood in the city, fitted together into something wholly new. Scholars have likened the plan to the great early mosque of Damascus, and the courtyard’s blend of classical fragments and Islamic design makes it unique among the mosques of Anatolia.
Stone of Black and White
Like the great walls of Diyarbakır, the mosque is built largely of the dark volcanic basalt of the region, often banded or contrasted with pale limestone to striking effect. The carved inscriptions, geometric patterns, and reused classical ornament across its surfaces record the hands of many ages and craftsmen. The prayer hall, the sundial in the courtyard, and the associated buildings and schools around it form a rich complex at the heart of the old city, a gathering of centuries of devotion and artistry in stone.
The Great Mosque Today
Today the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır remains a living, active place of worship and one of the most visited monuments of the old city, drawing both the faithful and travellers who come to marvel at its ancient courtyard. Set within the walls of Amed beside the Tigris, it endures as a powerful symbol of the long and many-layered history of one of the greatest cities of the Kurdish region — a mosque built, quite literally, from the stones of all who came before.
Timeline
antiquity — A temple, and later a church, stand on the sacred site.
after the Islamic conquest — The site is adapted for Muslim worship.
late 11th century — The Great Seljuks give the mosque much of its present form.
later dynasties — The mosque is repaired and enriched over the centuries.
today — The Great Mosque remains an active and celebrated monument of Amed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır?
It is one of the oldest and most important mosques in Anatolia, in the heart of the walled old city of Diyarbakır, famous for its courtyard of reused ancient columns.
How old is the Great Mosque?
Its present form dates largely to the Great Seljuk era in the late 11th century, but it stands on a far older sacred site that held a temple and then a church.
Why is its courtyard special?
The courtyard is lined with two-storey arcades built from the columns and carved stone of older Roman and Byzantine buildings, making it unique among Anatolian mosques.
Where is the Great Mosque?
It stands at the centre of the old walled city of Diyarbakır — Amed — on the Tigris in south-eastern Turkey.
Related People, Places, and Topics
The walls of Diyarbakır · Seljuk architecture · the old city of Amed · Diyarbakır · the Hevsel Gardens · the Ten-Eyed Bridge.
References and Further Reading
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