Yağ Cami


Yağ Cami is a historical mosque located in the old town of Adana, Turkey.. The mosque is originally built as the St. Jacob Church in around 1250 AD and converted into a mosque in c.1380 by the Ramazanoğlu Bey Şihabeddin Ahmed, just after taking over the city from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. It is the oldest mosque in the city and later on formed part of the külliye that also includes a madrasah.

History

Saint Jacob Church was built in around 1250 as an Eastern Orthodox Church, by the Byzantine Empress for the Byzantine Christians who are on their pilgrimage to Holy Land. Evliya Çelebi states the reason for building the church outside the city walls, was the hostility of city's Armenians towards Byzantines..Adana was ceded to the Mamluk Sultanate in 1359 and in the next decades, many Turkish families moved to the city. To practice their religious duties, the church was converted into a mosque in around 1380 by the Ramazanoğlu Bey Şihabeddin Ahmed and was known as Eski mosque, after the built of Ulu Camii. The mosque was renovated in 1501 by Gıyâseddîn Halil Bey. Later, his son Piri Mehmet Paşa built its minaret in 1525 and its madrasah in 1558. From mid 19th century, the mosque became known with the current name, getting the name from the oil bazaar opened just next to it.

Architecture

Mosque

The praying area has a rectangular shape and it is split into five naves with four rows of columns. The mihrab of the mosques is the apsis that remained from former church. The gate of the mosques is of yellow and black colored stone and is an important work of art.

Madrasah

The medrese is located in the courtyard of the mosque. There are classrooms, cells and a kitchen in the madrasah. Classrooms are covered with domes and cells have cradle arches. Arcades in front of the cells are great samples of wooden artwork.