ISABEY MOSQUE    This mosque, located on the slope containing Ayasoluk Castle and the Church of St. John, attracts the visitors to the latter structure with its beauty.    The Mosque was built by the architect Aliye son of Şamlı in 1375 on orders by İsa Bey, son of Mehmet, leader of the Aydınoğulları. The structure is built on a 51 by 57 metres nearly rectangular plan. The door which faces west is decorated with artificial stalactites, over which is a dedicatory inscription.    Upon entry there is a courtyard which is surrounded on three sides by porticoes with a fountain for ablutions in the centre. The Mosque itself is entered from the courtyard through a triple vaulted doorway. This section possesses two domes set upon four granite columns. The pulpit is covered with tiles. Three of the column capitals are done in traditional Turkish style, while a fourth is a Roman capital.    The western façade was done inspired by Konya Seljuk works. The upper parts of the windows on the left are decorated with rows of stalactites and inscriptions of hadith (incidents from the life of the Prophet). The ones on the right are each decorated in an entirely separate style. This is one of the first examples of a mosque containing two congregation places, and as such it represents an important example of the transition from Seljuk to Ottoman art.   <<<BACK     NEXT>>>