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NIGDE ALAADDIN
MOSQUE
Nigde Alaaddin mosque, one of the early examples of the
Classical Seljuk
 Architecture, was built in 1223 upon
the orders of Abdullah bin Besare during the time of
Alaaddin Keykubat. Its architects were Siddik bin Mahmut
and his brother Gazi. Its portal, found on the east side
and higher than the walls, is where the embellishments
are most dense. It is filled in with geometrical motifs
(semicircles, semi stars, stars with eight points, etc.)
leaving very little void. The portal has a seven lined ‘mukarnas’.
The three lined inscription on the niche bears
information about who had the mosque built and when it
was built. The two relief's on either side of the
inscription are considered to be women's heads or lion
heads by researchers. The edges of the marble stones on
the entrance door with a low arch are like that of a saw.
Next to the minaret on the northeast corner is a smaller
second portal. The mosque has a rectangular, though
close to a square, plan. The building is divided into
three naves with two lines of piers, each line
consisting of 4. The ceiling of the middle nave, larger
than the ones on the sides, is decorated with four lines
of ‘mukarnas’ and has an oculus. The ceiling in front of
the mihrab has three domes. The dome to the west has
sequences with ‘mukarnases’ of 8 lines. However, the
dome to the east is placed on two pendentives and two
sequences. The mihrab has 5 corners and ‘mukarnases’.
The borders on the sides are mainly decorated with
geometrical motifs. Alaaddin Mosque is one of the best
examples of Seljuk mosques with its stonework,
originality of its minaret, the great number of interior
domes and its oculus.
NIGDE SUNGUR
BEY MOSQUE
The mosque was built in 1335 upon the order of Seyfeddin
Sungur AGA during the reign of Ebusaid, the Ilkhanid
Sultan. Sungur Bey Mosque , built from cut stone in a
rectangular plan, reflects the characteristics of the
Seljuk period with its eastern and southern portals and
stone carvings on the mihrab. Among the decorative
motifs, the lion, heads of griphons, wild birds, horse
and gazelle are outstanding. In addition to these, the
two headed eagle above the entrance arch with the
southern portal and the decorations in gothic style
found on both of the portals are also interesting. The
mosque was originally supported by three low arches and
had three naves. The larger nave in the middle was
covered with three domes and each of the side naves with
transversal vaults. Due to the fire in the mosque in the
18th century, the upper part was supported with wooden
poles and lost its originality. In the mother of pearl
encrusted wooden mihrab inscription, now found in the
Nigde Disari Mosque, it is written that the mosque was
built by Hoca Ebubekir upon the orders of Seyfeddin
Sungur Bey during the reign of the Great Sultan Ebusaid.
The Sungur Bey Mosque is special due to its portal with
double minarets, and the use of the Gothic and Islamic
styles together.
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