Karakaş Mosque (Antalya)

About Karakaş Mosque (Antalya)

The Karakaş Mosque, also known as the Cafer Ağa Mosque, stands on Atatürk Avenue in the Sinan neighbourhood of the Muratpaşa district in central Antalya, directly opposite Hadrian's Gate (Üçkapılar), the Roman gate built in 130 AD to commemorate Emperor Hadrian's visit to the city. The original mosque is believed to date from the 14th century; it deteriorated over time and was completely rebuilt between 1992 and 2003 to a design by the eminent Turkish architect Turgut Cansever, a native of Antalya, for whom it was the only mosque he ever designed and his sole work in his home town. Cansever kept the basic layout of the old building and created a new mosque combining elements from Anatolia's different cultures: he used the coloured stones and tiles typical of the garden walls of Kaleiçi as building material, partly clad the interior in ceramic tiles to recall the Anatolian tile tradition, and covered the dome with handcrafted glazed tiles. The mosque is now regarded as one of Turkey's notable works of contemporary Islamic architecture and a symbol of central Antalya. Its position between Hadrian's Gate, Atatürk Avenue and Karaalioğlu Park makes it a natural stop for anyone entering or leaving the old town.

Where:

Antalya, Türkiye