Kesikbaş Camii and Türbesi

Kesikbaş Mosque and Türbe is located in the center of Niğde Province, Türkiye, on Kesikbaş Street within Burhan Neighborhood, southeast of Eskisaray Neighborhood. The türbe is situated beside the mosque bearing the same name.

^{Kesikbaş Türbe} (Türkiye Culture Portal)

The türbe belongs to the group of rectangular-plan, horizontally oriented türbes. Its external dimensions are 5.40 x 9.95 meters, and internal dimensions are 3.90 x 8.40 meters. The structure is built from yellow trachyte stone and exhibits a very simple architectural style. Its roof is flat; a recessed arch entrance is located on the north façade, while windows and a mihrab niche are found on the east and south façades.

The interior of the türbe is illuminated by four wooden-lintelled windows with a mazgal form. At its center, a wooden sarcophagus is encircled by a metal frame. The interior space is undecorated, and the exterior façades are plain.

The mosque’s minaret was constructed later and is located in the western corner. Built from yellow trachyte stone, it rests on a rectangular platform covered with cement plaster. The shaft is sixteen-sided, single-balconied, crowned with a conical cap and an alem.

Although no original foundation inscription survives, two restoration inscriptions are present: one on the north façade dated 1296 AH 1878–79 CE and another on the south façade dated 1340 AH 1921–22 CE. The inscription on the south façade features a Mevlevi coin and a six-line poetic text that draws attention.

The three-dimensional Mevlevi coin with a turban depicted on the south façade inscription symbolically links the türbe to Mevlana and Mevlevism. This coin, referred to as a sikke-i şerif, represents the distinctive headgear worn by Mevlevi dervishes.

The türbe is popularly known as “Kesikbaş,” and there is a strong local belief that the person buried here is Şems-i Tebrizi. Mehmet Önder, in his work Mevlana, states that this türbe is attributed to Şems.