Yerkapı Mosque
Yerkapı Mosque
This mosque was built during the 14th century by Kara Ali, the father of Timurtash Pasha, and the conqueror of Imrali Island. It is the last place of worship being built in Kaleiçi during the reign of Murad I the Sovereign (1362-1389). As it is situated nearby “Yerkapi”, one of the gates in the town walls, it is also called “Babi Zemin” Masjid, or “Kara Ali” Mosque, according to the name of its sponsor.
The walls of this mosque are masoned using rubble stones and bricks. Its main prayer hall measuring 8.00 x 8.00 m, together with its portico for latecomers, is built with a rectangular ground plan. The main prayer hall is covered with a single dome, which, on the outside, is built with an octagonal tambour. The transition to the dome, on the inside, is provided by means of Turkish triangles. Both the dome and the walls are completed with two rows of sawtooth eaves.
This mosque has sustained major damage in the 1855 earthquake. In a first step, its roof was repaired, and later, in 1967, it was re-built by the “Bursa Ancient Artwork Lovers’ Society” according to its original plans.
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