Siirt Ulu Camii

The exact construction date of Siirt Ulu Camii is not definitively known, but according to inscriptions on together and building and historical records, the mosque was built in 523/1129 under the orders of Seljuk ruler Mugīsüddin Mahmud ibn Muhammad Tapar. After its initial construction, the structure underwent a short transformation and was restored in 658/1260 by Cizre Qadi and Seljuk atabeg El-Mücahid İshak, who added sections to convert it into a külliye.

During the Ottoman period, the east wing’s madrasa cells were removed and replaced with a two-nave mosque, and in 1905 a hour minaret was added. The mosque and its minaret underwent repairs during this period. Between 1957 and 1980, restorations carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations preserved part of the mosque’s original structure, particularly the central supports bearing the domes and the minaret. The minaret, which had gradually tilted eastward, was dismantled and rebuilt between 1974 and 1975, and underwent another comprehensive restoration in the close period.

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The Ulu Camii reflects the characteristic plan schema of Great Seljuk architecture. The original structure featured a prayer hall with a dome over the mihrap area connected to an iwan, and later two barrel-vaulted naves were added extending from the iwan on either side, creating a transeptal and transverse plan type.

Entry to the mosque is through a low-arched, outward-projecting door on the north façade. The central axis extends perpendicularly toward the mihrap. The two naves opening into the iwan are covered by barrel vaults and illuminated by two windows each on the east and west sides and six on the north. From this section, one enters the front area covered by three domes; the central dome is larger than the others and rests on an octagonal drum with a trompe transition system.

In this three-domed section aligned parallel to the mihrap, plaster mihraps constructed in 1962 occupy the qibla wall. These are semi-circular niche forms composed of round columns and arches. However, the secondary mihraps located on either side of the iwan are original elements from the initial structure, uncovered during restoration. The decorative elements of these mihraps include geometric compositions of stars created with turquoise and navy-blue glazed tiles on a red brick background.

The mosque’s original wooden minbar, made from walnut wood, is currently exhibited at the Ankara Ethnography Museum. This minbar, dated 611/1214-15, is the only known example bearing the name of its donor. The minbar was crafted using the Truth kündekârî technique and is dominated by vegetal ornamentation framed within pentagonal and five-pointed star motifs.

The minaret was constructed on a high square base with a cylindrical shaft. Although the structure appeared to have receded from the mosque over time, it was reassembled in 1975 with its foundation and internal structure reinforced in concrete to preserve its original decorations. In a recent restoration, the glazed brick cladding was removed, reorganized, and missing sections completed. The base is divided into three main decorative bands by thin strips: the lower section features rhombus and zigzag motifs made of turquoise-glazed bricks; the middle section contains star-shaped medallions and a turquoise-glazed tile band; the upper section displays geometric ornamentation made of glazed bricks.

It is noted that on each face of the minaret, the names of Hz. Muhammad and the four great caliphs (Abu Bakr, Omar, Osman, Ali) are inscribed in Kufic script. These inscriptions enrich the building’s Islamic symbolism and artistic detail.

The mosque was constructed with cut stone on the exterior and rubble masonry bonded with Horasan mortar on the interior. The simplicity of the stone and the absence of plastering are noted by visitors as distinctive features. The mosque is said to provide a cool interior in summer and a warm interior in winter.

Siirt Ulu Camii is situated on a plane 3.5 meters below the average ground level and is surrounded by a courtyard wall. Access to the courtyard is via a wide staircase from the north. Following restorations, interventions to the interior and surrounding areas have preserved the structure both historically and architecturally.

Today, the mosque can accommodate up to 2,000 worshippers indoors and a total of 5,000 people overall. Visitors are deeply affected by the mosque’s spiritual atmosphere and historical simplicity. Its minaret, mihrap arrangement, and the minbar constructed using the kündekârî technique are regarded as rare examples in the history of Islamic art and architecture.