The Old Mosque of Savur/Mardin: An Analysis of Architecture, Inscriptions, and Patronage

Authors : Neslihan Kaya

Pages : 2439-2461

Doi:10.35674/kent.1515686

View : 119 | Download : 83

Publication Date : 2025-07-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article studies the Old Mosque located in the centre of the Savur district of Mardin. It was a social complex consisting of a mosque, a madrasa, a courtyard, an ablution room, and a minaret. The building features seven Arabic inscriptions and one Syriac inscription. Four of these inscriptions have been previously studied and the four others are unpublished. An Arabic inscription on the qibla wall of the mosque, on the east side of the miḥrāb, commemorates the construction of the mosque, with its eighth line providing the year 827H (1423AD). The name of the patron is not mentioned. However, the inscribed date indicates that the mosque was built during the rule of Iskender Mirza (r. 1420-1434), the son of Qara Yūsuf (r. 1389-1420). The latter was the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu— who arrived in the region from Iran—and ruled Mardin, Savur, and the surrounding lands for a short period, i.e., between 1409 and 1432. Little is known about the construction policy implemented by this dynasty in Savur, notably in the center of Mardin where very little architectural work has survived. Consequently, the inscription on Savur’s mosque is precious as it testifies to constructions in this area during the reign of the region’s Qara Qoyunlu emir, Iskender Mirza. During the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, important additions were made to the mosque by the local rulers of Savur. In this context, the article provides information about the patronages of the mosque.
Keywords : Mardin, Savur Eski Camii, Karakoyunlular, Savur Beyleri, Baniler, Kitabeler

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