Faith / Mosque
Eşrefoğlu Mosque
Beyşehir, Konya
Anatolia's largest and most original mosque with wooden columns, commissioned in 1296–1299 by Eşrefoğlu Süleyman Bey; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023.
Its story
The mosque was commissioned in 1296–1299 by Seyfeddin Süleyman Bey in Beyşehir, the capital of the Eşrefoğulları Principality, as a complex together with a tomb, hamam and bedesten. In contrast to its plain stone exterior, inside dozens of wooden columns carrying the flat wooden ceiling, muqarnas capitals and painted decoration on the ceiling create the enchanting effect of a forest. The snow pit (karlık) in the middle was designed to keep the interior humid with snow thrown down from the roof in winter, preventing the wood from cracking. Its tile mosaic mihrab and walnut minbar are among the masterpieces of post-Seljuk art. In 2023 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the 'Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia'.
Key facts
- Built
- 1296–1299
- Patron
- Eşrefoğlu Seyfeddin Süleyman Bey
- UNESCO
- 2023
- Admission
- Free; visits pause during prayer times
- Visit duration
- 30–45 minutes
Trip purpose
- Free
- Photography
- Rainy day
Location
37.68345, 31.71862
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
Reviews
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C5%9Frefo%C4%9Flu_Camii | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C5%9Frefo%C4%9Flu_Mosque | https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1694/ | https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/esrefogullari | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2494934