The magnificent
building called Divriği Ulu Camii and Daru'ş-şifa in the World Art
History was built by lord of Mengücek Feudal Ahmet Şah in 1228. Şifahane
(Hospital) was built by Ahmet Şah's wife Melike Turan. Divriği Ulu Camii
is also known as Fatma Hatun Camii or Ahmet Şah Camii.
This building has some differences from the others. For example, the 3D
geometric styles and botanic designs were said "unique" by art
historians and architects. Designs which embroider on doors and walls
are asymmetric and every square have over then a thousand patterns. The
foreman had always renovated himself. All the styles were arranged for
showing unity of God.
Divriği Ulu Camii and Daru'ş-şifa has four doors. They are Şifahane Taç
Door, North Taç Door, West Taç Door, Şah Mahfili Taç Door. Each of them
is different from the other and glorious. Divriği Ulu Camii is a
marvellous architecture and engineering example with it's every units.
Şifahane (Hospital) Taç Door
Şifahane Taç Door has a perfect appearance. There are enormous stars on
it. Wonderful niches had embroidered very detailed. There is a window
onside of the door and a column is in front of the window. If building
is on balance, this column is turning around itself. But it stopped at
the earthquake in 1938. According to engineers, the mechanism locked
during the earthquake and it is broken.
When you went into from Şifahane Taç Door, you see a pool between to
columns. All the columns' patterns are different and they remind us the
perfect civilization. People believed that illnesses could be cured here
by listening water's voice, music and Kur'an-ı Kerim. It means that they
used the system of today's methods of curing in the psychiatry clinics,
before 800 years. There are also martyr’s tombs near the pool. According
to the stories, The Selçuklu warriors who fall martyr were buried there.
In addition the people who were owners of this building were buried in a
room opposite the pool. Ahmet Şah, Melike Turan (Ahmet Şah's wife),
Fatma Hatun (Ahmet Şah's mother), Süleyman Şah (Ahmet Şah's father) are
resting in this room. Although the damage, their tombs weren’t affected.
But the others had pillaged. On the walls this sentence was written: "YA
ALLAH". Near these words there are purple and turquoise porcelains.
On the big hall there are so many figures which narrate Creation and
Expanding of World; everything is on move, Doom, Promises of God and
TEVHİD principle. Concisely we can say the book of the world is
embroidered on the stone. The rooms on upper floor are used for doctors
and administrations. The doors of these rooms were made short. The aim
of this: The person who is coming in, has to bow his/her head to show
it's respect to them.
Great Mosque West Taç Door
This door is different the others cause of it's embroiders with fine
hand-works. This door has embroidered with more marvelous details then
other doors. Rectangles, squares, triangles and prismatic stones were
placed in telescopic styles. Due to this styles and hand-works this door
is known as Textile Door.
Doors had usually embroidered with stonework, but this time stones were
put in stones on this door in telescopic styles.
When you see its picture, you will agree with us and understand why this
door called Textile Door. This door
Two Headed Eagle and Falcon
There are two relieves around of West Taç Door. A Two Headed Eagle
relief is on the right side, a Hawk relief is on the left side. Two
Headed Eagle is the symbol of Selçuklu State, Hawk is the symbol of
Mengücek Feudal. Hawk bows its head. This way Ahmet Şah shows his
respect to Selçuklu State. One head of Two Headed Eagle looks at West,
other head of it looks at East. It symbolizes that Turks dominate West
and East. In addition Two Headed Eagle means power, freedom and
independence. So it agrees Solu of Turks. There is a base between West
Taç Door and North Taç Door. The base was built by Mimar Sinan while
Divriği Ulu Camii was being repaired.
North Taç Door
This door is known as Castle Door, Public Door or Heaven Door. A stone
can not be embroidered better than this. We still don’t know how they
made this magnificent and unique building with the technology of past.
People who see North Taç Door admire on it. When you examine the
different designs, you can see every detail has a meaning. It’s like an
art gallery: Sun disc, clouds of leaf, Lifetree designs, crescents,
stars, 3D shapes, botanic designs…
There is a column on the side of Main Dorr. So many symbol was drawn and
embroidered and they show three ways on the column. The best shape is
octagonal star. If you look at right side “Fair Sultan’s happiness and
domination continue eternally”. Ayet’el Kursi prayer exist at the
opposite of this sentence. So Ahmet Şah aimed to get God’s protection.
Although it is the Main Entrance of the building, it has been closed
till 60 years. Now West Taç Door is used for Entrance. When you enter
from North Taç Door, there are two depositories.
If the public, which lives there at past, go away, they entrust their
important things to this depository. Although the mosque is open for 24
hours in a day but nothing was stolen. And the people could take their
things years later.
There are 12 stalactites at the top of the hall and 16 columns opposite
of it. We can recognize easily that column’s top and bottom are
different. Some of them were repaired by Ottoman Empire. Dome was tried
to repair by the time of Republic of Turkey. Although the reformation,
the dome which is at the west damaged. Ahmet Şah’s carpets, doors and
timber designs were stolen. The door is like a window now. The units of
south-east have protected their originality but the units at west were
damaged.
 Mihrap
(Niche in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca)
At the first time, it seems as a simple niche but all of the simplicity is
collected on a point. The Mihrap has been done with rock which is stronger.
The reason of simplicity is: Design doesn’t call attention. Imam can look at
have also simple design. There are two hearts which had put crustily. The
point that two hearts touch each other, there is a tulip between them. A
crescent placed under the tulip.
According to Ebced, tulip and crescent means God. It means “Every hearts
needs God. Every heart can be satisfied by mentioning to God. When you die,
you will return to God. All the prayers and prostrations must be for God.
God never is interested in humans’ face, clothes or riches. He just looks at
your heart.” There is a dome on Minber for acoustic. A lot of carpets from
Palace in Egypt were presented by Yavuz Sultan Selim. He brought a globe
there. But it’s carried to Sivas Museum because of deep cracks.
Hacet (Request) Door
Hacet Door is made of ebony tree. It is as a wooden-working example at that century. A lot of people wanted to stole it.
 Minber (Pulpit in a mosque)
According to stories; two foremen had made the minber in twelve years. It is made of ebony tree. To embroider the tree you have to put it in earth for years and it must be delayed in water. And it becomes stronger time after time. According to rumours; these trees grow in Africa. There is a lot of minbers which are made of ebony tree but it is unique with its marvellous details, embroidered prayers.
The name of the foreman who had done the minber is Ahmet ( Son of İbrahim ). At the right of minber has written Al-i İmran Prayer by a special Selçuklu hand-writting style named “Hat”. Name of the hattat ( the writter who uses hat style ) is “El Fakir Ahmet Bin Muhammed”.
The shadow which prays in mosque and reads
Kur’an-ı Kerim is making people excited. It appeared on afternoon in last
August first.
People noticed this shadow in mosque after 800 years. This amazing work of
art is another marvellous architecture example.
Translation: Mehmet Yatkı
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