Laal Paşa Camii

Laal Paşa Camii is a historical structure from the Karamanoğlu Beylik period located in the Mut district of Mersin, place. The founder of the mosque, Laal Pasha, was originally a slave named Musa. Laal Paşa, one of the slaves of Karamanoğlu Alâeddin Lord, earned his favor and was educated by him. Impressed by his abilities, Alâeddin Bey manumitted him and granted him the status of a free individual. Due to his successes in administrative affairs, Laal Paşa was appointed as the governor of Niğde Castle. During his time in Mut, he commissioned the construction of a mosque, madrasa and bathhouse, and allocated income sources endowment to ensure their continuity. His exact place of origin, the date of his entry into the service of the Karamanoğulları, the precise date of his death and the location of his tomb remain unknown. However, Evliya Çelebi’s Seyahatname mentions that Laal Paşa’s grave is located in one of the domed tombs in the mosque courtyard.

^{Laal Paşa Camii (}culturenvanteri⁾

Laal Paşa Camii is built on a rectangle foundation using precisely cut stone. The mosque’s main dome rests on an octagonal drum; its external dimensions are 18 by 21 metres and internal dimensions are 11.45 by 18.70 metres. On the northern façade, there is a five-domed congregation porch supported by four monolithic cylindrical green columns. Inside the prayer hall, the main dome is supported by four piers, and four additional arch niches, formed by the main arches, are present. The mosque’s marble minbar is original and notable for its muqarnas craftsmanship, while the mihrab niche was repainted later.

On the western, eastern and southern façades, two rows of four windows each are arranged according to the Karamanoğlu architectural style; the upper row windows are narrower, while the lower ones are wider. On the northern façade, the main mosque entrance is centrally located, flanked by two larger and taller windows on either side. These door and windows reflect Ottoman architectural features, which are believed to result from repairs carried out during the Ottoman period. On the eastern façade, a small door is located near the corner; entering through this door leads to the women’s gallery via a wooden staircase. The mosque has no other entrance.

Originally without a minaret, a slender call to prayer tower was added later atop the western revak arch, but this building was destroyed in 1915 along with the revak. Construction of the current minaret began in 1923 and was completed in 1936; the inscription related to this construction is located to the right of the revak.

^{Laal Paşa Camii (}culturenvanteri⁾

Although the exact construction date of Laal Paşa Camii is unknown, documents dated 1798 and 1815 clearly state that the mosque and medrese were built by Laal Paşa. In a 1798 document, the qadi of Mut and Sinanlı, Molla Süleyman, refers to “the sacred mosque erected by the late and forgiven La’l Paşa in the Mut district”; a document dated 1815 mentions “the medrese built by the late and blessed La’l Paşa, among the virtuous people of Mut.”

The mosque has undergone various restorations throughout its history. The first repair was carried out in 1752 by Hacı Mustafa, the secretary of Çelik Mehmet Paşa, the governor of İçel, but the inscription related to this repair has not survived. The second restoration was conducted in 1820 by Mehmet ibni Emrullah. Construction of the revak and minaret began in 1923, with the minaret completed in 1936. Currently, the mosque is the subject of restoration efforts that began on 5 May 2017 and were planned to be completed on 5 April 2019, but were not finished.

^{Laal Paşa Camii (}culturenvanteri⁾

Around the mosque there once stood a hamam and a medrese with a roof covered in earth, but these structures have not survived to the present day. Two tomb are located in the courtyard; one contains three and the other four tomb. According to Evliya Çelebi, Laal Paşa’s tomb is located in one of these domed tombs. The Çarşı Street, which passes between the mosque courtyard and Çınarlı Park’s walls, is Mut’s second busiest thoroughfare. Region, castle towers, ramparts, inner citadel, türbes, middle school building, municipality palace and five majestic plane trees encircle the area. The abundant water from Kale Pınarı flows from pool to pool, forming a small waterfall that empties into the Mut Stream. This area is regarded as one of Mut’s most magnificent and spiritually captivating sites.