Open-Air Prayer Place
Open-Air Prayer Place
This place was built by Umur Bey, a commander from Bursa and the son of Kara Timurtaş Bey, in the early 1400s during the reign of Yıldırım Bâyezid (1389-1403). This structure is the first and most important one among those structure built in Turkey as an open-air praying place. In the period when it was built, it was situated extramuros, at a place, which was dominating its surroundings. It was a place where the army performed collectively the ritual “namaz” prayer, and prayed before military campaigns. Moreover, it gave its name to the neighbourhood where it was situated.
It is an uncovered place of worship built with a square plan measuring 11.65 x 11.3 m. It is surrounded by a marble border.
Today, it is continuing to be used with its original function, for the “teravih” and the festival prayers during the month of Ramadan, when this coincides with the summer months.
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