Ala Mosque Explained

Ala Mosque
Native Name:Ala Camii
Native Name Lang:tr
Coordinates:37.3731°N 36.1028°W
Religious Affiliation:Islam
Location:Kadirli, Osmaniye, Turkey
Tradition:Sunni
Festivals:-->
Organizational Status:-->
Architecture Type:Mosque
Established:5th century
Date Destroyed:-->
Minaret Quantity:1
Elevation Ft:-->

Ala Mosque (Turkish: Ala Camisi) is a historical mosque in Kadirli, Osmaniye Province, Turkey.

Ala Mosque is in Kadirli ilçe (district) of Osmaniye Province. There is a Roman necropolis to the east of the mosque.[1]

It was a Byzantine church and monastery built in the 5th century. After the city was captured by Kasım Bey of Dulkadirids in 1489, it was converted into a mosque and a madrasa. A mimbar and a minaret were added by the Dulkarids. It was initially named Alaüddevle Mescit after Kasım Bey's father Alaüddevle Bozkurt.[2] Later, the name was shortened to "Ala". During the 19th century, Ala Mosque was used as an Ottoman Army depot, and after 1865 it was restored as a mosque. In 1924, during the Turkish Republic era, it was abandoned.[3] Beginning by 2012, the building underwent a restoration.[1] Which was finished in July 2020.[4]

According to Richard Batliss, the dimensions of the original building was .

Notes and References

  1. https://www.academia.edu/35509691/KADIRLI_ALACAMII_ARKEOLOJI_HAFRIYATI_Kaz%C4%B1_Eylem_Plan%C4%B1 Report by Engin Yüksel and Ayşegül Yüksel
  2. http://osmaniye.gov.tr/kadirli-ala-cami Osmaniye governor's page
  3. https://www.academia.edu/3165833/The_Alacami_in_Kadirli_transformations_of_a_sacred_monument Report by Richard Bayliss
  4. Web site: Osmaniye'deki tarihi Ala Camisi 96 yıl sonra cemaatine kavuşuyor.