Ulu Cami (Adana) - The Mosque

The Mosque

The building carries features of Mamluk, Seljuk and the Ottoman architecture, as understood from its three inscriptions. As the west entrance of the main building resembles difference from the part that was built by Ramazanoğlu Halil Bey and the construction technique being from the earlier centuries, it is possible to date back the history of the building. The stalactite conical roof that rises step by step above the entrance has the features of Seljukid architecture. This gives an indication that Ramadanids, who were a small beylik (emirate) in the early 16th century, built a small masjid first, but then built the main building beside it, when the beylik expanded and the masjid could not meet the needs.

Ulu Cami, as a whole, has the dimensions of 34.5 x 32.5 m, a rectangle that is close to a square. The entrance to the courtyard is through the two large gates on the west and the east. Besides the main praying area, part of the courtyard is covered with wooden roof and thus serves as a final congregation area to accommodate a larger community and also to create an outdoor area for praying in summers. At the east side of the court entrance and at the side of the main hall, the black and white marble panels adds color to the view. The outline of the semi-sharp arches are decorated with stalaktite and flower motif.

The main praying hall, that is seated on the width of the rectangular plan, forms two nave with the four columns that are situated parallel to the qibla wall and the columns are tied to each other with semi-sharp arches. The mosques is famous with the mihrab that is framed with black marbles and especially with the 16th and 17th century Iznik tilings that cover the qibla walls.

Its minaret is a unique sample with the Mamluk effects it bears and with its orthogonal plan scheme. On the exterior of the minaret, stones of two different colors are used.