Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ömür B A K İ R E R
taşı, derz aralıkian hemen hiç belli oi- bir özelHk de, her iki portalde ve mih
mıyacak şekilde kaplanmıştır. Bu titiz rapta geometrik kompozisyonların
işçilikte mescide halk arasmda iyi bili benzer şekilde tekrarlanması ve mu-
nen ikinci ismini «Akçe Gizlenmez Mes kamaslann benzerliğidir. Bu da iç ve
cidi» ismini vermiştir. dış yapı arasında bir homojenlik mey
dana getirir. Netice olarak da, kesme
Taş işçiliğinin yamsıra portal de taş duvarlannm meydana getirdiği bü
korasyonunda Hacı Ferruhla çağ tünlüğü dekorasyon tamamlar.
daş cami ve kervîinsaray portallerin-
de rastlîinan özelliklere yer verilmiş Bütün bu özellikleriyle Hacı Fer-
tir. Sadece esas elemanları çerçevele ruh Mescidini Konya'daki küçük mes-
mek ve barizleştirmek için kullamlan cidlerden ziyade aym sıralarda inşa
geometrik geçmelerin tıpatıp aym veya edilen daha büyük çaptaki binalarla
benzer şekillerinin bu erken devirde in mukayese etmek ve onlarla birlikte de
şa edilen eserlerde yaygm olarak kulla- ğerlendirebilmek fırsatı elde edilmelv-
mldığı görülür. Dekorasyonda ikinci tedir.
T H E MESCİD OF HACI FERRUH
1. Î . H . K o n y a l ı , A b i d e l e r i v e K i t a b e l e r i
Ue K o n y a T a r i h i , K o n y a , 1964, p. 362-367; M. 3. E x a m p l e s : A b d ü l a z i z , Abdiilmumin,
önder, Mevlana Şehri K o n y a , K o n y a , 1962, H a l k a b e g u ş , Şekerfuruş, Sakahane, Iç K a r a -
p. 97; S. E y i c e , "Mesciid' t s l â m A n s i k l o p e d i s i , aslan, Terceman, Zevle Sultan.
vol. V m . p. 89; F . S o y m a n - t. T o y g a r ,
K o n y a E s k i E s e r l e r K ı l a v u z u , K o n y a 1944, p . 4. E x a m p l e s : B a g a r a b e y , Beyhekim,
47; M. K a t o ğ l u , '13. y . y . K o n y a s m d a b i r c a m i Zemburi, Talvir lie Z ü h r e , BJrdemşah, H a c ı
g^nruba v e s o n c e n s a a t m a h a l l i ' , <cTürk E t n o g Ferruh, Karatay.
r a f y a D e r g i s i » , N o . I X . p . 88. 5. I . H . K o n y a U , op. c i t . p. 363, i l l u s t r a
t i o n of t h e i n s c r i p t i o n p a n e l on the s a m e page.
2. İ H . K o n y a l ı , op. c i t . p. 362.
M . Ö n d e r , ibid.
A c c o r d i n g to t h i s anectode, the do T h e s a m e person's n a m e i s mentioned
n o r of the building- ordered the m a s t e r m a s o n i n a second w r i t t e n document, w l i i c h i s the
to face both the e x t e r i o r a n d the i n t e r i o r f o u n d a t i o n c h a r t e r of the K e y l i a v u s H o s p i t a l
w a l l s w i t h c u t stones. H e w a n t e d the j o i n t s i n S i v a s . T h e foundation c h a r t e r of t h i s h o s
so perfectly f i t t i n g t h a t t h e r e w o u l d n o t be pital (constructed for î z z e d d i n K e y k a v u s In
a n y opening b e t w e e n t h e stone c o u r s e s e v e n 1217) w a s p r e p a r e d I n 1221, a n d t h e n a m e of
to hide a t l i i n gold c o i n ( a k ç e ) . T h e m a s t e r H a c ı F e r r u h bin Abdullah I s given as the
mason w a s threatened w i t h death i n case he t r u s t e e of the f u n d e s t a b l i s h e d b y t z z e d d i n
could not f u l f i l l t h e s e r e q u i r e m e n t s . Keykavus.
ÖMÜR BAKIRER
180
bin Güneş», who probably came from and a flight of steps built in the thick
ness of the wall. It has been assumed
Kayse^i^
that originally this staircase led to the
/. PLAN minaret'. This assumption can be ac
cepted since in other mescids, whene
The overall plan of the mescid is ver a portico or a vestibule precedes
a rectangle comprising a square pra the prayer hall (e.g. in the Zemburi
yer hall and the vestibule (Fig. 1). The mescidi, Sırçalı Mescid and Hoca Ha
interior mesurements of the prayer san Mescidi), there is a minaret flan
hall are 6.85x6.85 m. This is preceded, king the South-East or the North-East
on the east, by a closed vestibule mea corner of the vestibule.
suring 3.57X6.85 m. The east wall of
the prayer hall serves as a partition II. EXTERIOR
between these two spaces. It is pierced
with a portal and two windows, exactly At present the mescid has some
following the facade scheme. The scale what lost its original appearance. The
and decoration of this inner portal has original upper structure, which most
the same character as the entrance probably was a dome, as in all the rest
portal, thus giving the impression that of the mescids, has apparently collap
the prayer hall and the vestibule were sed, and replaced with the presen;
planned singly with their own entran flat roof. This covering gives the buil
ces. Despite their juxtaposition they re ding a very massive, rectangular block
main distincly seperate. It is apparent like form (PL 1)'". There are no pro
that the problem of merging the main jections or recessions to alter it, exept
prayer hall with the vestibule as one on the South Wall where the mihrap
unit, whilst creating a close link bet protrudes slightly. At the top it prt.
ween them is not yet solved. This in jects 10 cm. increasing downward !o
ternal seperation of the mescid is not about 60 cm. to accomodate a second
apparent on the exterior, where the smaller niche placed within the first
walls extend uniformly without a mihrap niche (Fig. 1).
brake to mark the dividing line of the
two spaces'. A. Walls
Although the building does not now As stated above, the articulation
have a minaret, on the South-East cor of the interior spaces is not revealec'
ner of the vestibule there isa passage on the exterior of the walls which ex-
tend uniformly". They are faced with to be a direct reference to the larger
large, rectangular blocks of finely cut structures of the XIII. th. c. Its portal
and jointed «Gödene Taşı», producing a carries all the elements of a monumen
smooth surface texture'-. On the up tal portal but is treated in a very sim
permost section of the walls, the two ple style.
rows of stones, lighter in shade, and
the water spouts are later additions. B. Portal
Except for the single window opening
on the upper part of the South wall, The portal has a rectangular for
the other three walls are not perfora mat, and a pointed and stepped arch
ted with windows. They rise uniformly, recession which is covered by a half-
increasing the massiveness of the ex dome faced with stalactites (Pi. 3).
terior. The rectangular framework measures
In contrast to the side walls the about 4.50 m. in width, and more than
facade is treated rather elaborately, 6.00 m. in height, and it does not pro
and articulated with a portal flanked ject from the surface of the wall. Two
by two windows (Pi. 2). The idea of large bands, with different mouldings,
marking the main entrance with a mo run around the three sides of the rec
numental portal, a characteristic of tangle and define its borders.
most XIII. th. c. buildings, is not much The first band is a concave moul
favored in the first group of mescids ding. It follows an irregular line and
having only a prayer hall. This is partly gives a stepped outline to the frame
due to the small size of the buildings work (Pi. 3) (Fig. 2). A chevron pat
where the facade has no room to incor tern with angular projections is carved
porate a large portal. Whereas, in the in low relief on its inner face. Both the
second group with the vestibule or the size and form of these projections
colonnaded portico, emphasis is given show an assymmetrical arrangement.
to a rather elaborate treatment of the
Within this first one, the second
facade, and various shemes have been
band forms a perfect rectangular fra
employed to achieve this". However,
mework and its surface is decorated
only in Hacı Ferruh does there seem
with a geometric ornament. The com
position is an interlace, arranged with
11. I n t w o o t h e r m e s c i d s w i t h v e s t i b u l e s ,
B e y h e k i m a n d T a h i r ile Z ü h r e , the s h o r t w a l l
the continious intersection of narrow
of the vestibule m a k e s a p r o j e c t i o n a g a i n s t ribs that form ten sided star patterns
the side w a l l of the p r a y e r h a l l . I n t h i s w a y
the p r a y e r h a l l a n d the v e s t i b u l e a r e diffe
at the centers and are than repeated
rentiated on the e x t e r i o r . H o w e v e r ,in B a - vertically, one corresponding to each
ş a r a b e y a n d K a r a t a y , a s i n H a c ı F e r r u h , the
division cannot be o b s e r v e d on t h e e x t e r i o r .
stone course. These narrow ribs are
carved in low relief, thus the outlines
12. I . H . K o n y a h , op. c i t . p. 36T.
of the design stay close to the back
M. Z. Oral, 'Konya'da Sırçalı Medrese' ground and do not create strong con
« B e U e t e n . » vol I X . 1961, p. 356. G ö d e n e T a ş ı is
a k i n d of calcai-eous stone. I t h a s a y e l l o w i s h
trasts of light and shadow.
white color, a n d i s one of the t h r e e k i n d s of
stones used a b u n d a n t l y i n the monuments Between this rectangular outer
erected i n K o n y a . framework and the pointed arch, train-
13. I n the f i r s t group of t h e m e s c i d s , t h e gular zones appear and their surfaces
entrance doors do n o t h a v e a c e n t r a l p l a c e
ment. T h e y a r e u s u a l l y p l a c e d close to one
c o m e r , a n d there i s a s i n g l e w i n d o w o p e n i n g g r o u p , the p o r t a l s a n d the composition of the
a t the other c o r n e r i n o r d e r to c r e a t e a b a w h o l e f a c a d e s s h o w v a r i a t i o n s f r o m one m e s -
lance. F u r t h e r m o r e , the p o r t a l c o n s i s t s of a cid to the other, depending m o s t l y on w h e t
v e r y low a n d n a r r o w r e c t a n g u l a r f r a m e w o r k , her t h e r e is a vestibule o r a p o r t i c o following;
w i t h o u t a n a r c h e d r e c e s s i o n . I n the second the p r a y e r hall.
ÖMÜR BAKIRER
182
III. INTERIOR
are left free of decoration. Here there
is merely the semicircular arch which A. VesUbtde
crowns the halfdome filled with sta
This is a compact rectangular spa
lactites (PI. 4). The stalactites are shal
ce, serving as a passage before entering
low but large hemispherical triangles,
the main prayer hall. The walls are fa
grouped in twoes and threes and pla
ced with the same grey stones as those
ced on seven rows within the halfdo
which cover the walls of the praver
me.
hall.
Behind the niche recession lies the As in the main prayer hall, the
door opening framed with a low arch. upper structure is altered, and th-
Like on the first band of the frame present barrel vault is a later a addi
work, a chevron pattern is carved on tion" (PI. 10). On the partition wall,
its lower edge (Pi. 6). between the prayer hall and the vesti
bule, there are the remains of trans
On the lower part of the niche re verse arches, which do not coincide
cession, there are smaller niches (Mih- with this barrel vault, and indicate
rabiye) on the sides, flanking the door that in the original, the form of the
opening. Their rectangular frameworks upper structure was different.
are defined vdth simple mouldings, yet
these are badly damaged through wea The partition wall is pierced with
thering. The small halfdomes, crow a door and two windows, which to
ning their upper parts, are filled with gether form the link between the pra
stalactites and a stalactite cornice is yer hall and the vestibule. Also thes.-
placed slightly above (PI. 5). are the only means of lighting the pra
yer hall. On the whole, the interior o I
As the above mentioned descripti both spaces is quite dark due to the
ons point out, the decoration of the lack of windows and the dark color o T
portal shows a simple composition the stone facing.
where the carved zones are kept to a
minimum, and the carving itself is very /. Inner Portal
shallow. These characteristics are due The iimer portal, leading into the
to the early date of the structure.
prayer hall has a rectangular format,
measuring about 4.50 m. in width. Just
The stone facings of the portal
like the entrange portal, it is formed
have suffered a great deal through
weathering, however it is still possible of a deep niche recession, and two
to distinguish the details of the carved small niches (Mihrabiye) at the sides
designs. (Fig. 3).
C. Windows
14. I n B a § a r a b e y m e s c i d i , w h e r e t h e r e i s
a similar vestibule, there a r e a l s o t h e r e m a
Two rectangular windows flank ins of tranverse arches, y e t t h e p r e s e n t c o
vering i s not the o r i g i n a l one. T h e u p p e r
the portal. They are topped with poin structure of the vestibule i n K a r a t a y m e s c i d i
ted relieving arches, which outline lu is also altered. T h e only e x a m p l e w h e r e t h e
vestibule still retains i t s o r i g i n a l u p p e r s t r u c
nette-like zones. The window openings ture is T a h l r ile Z ü h r e m e s c i d i . H o w e v e r , h e
r e the condition i s different, t h e v e s t i b u l e is
are seperated, however, from the lu divided into two b a y s a n d c o v e r e d w i t h a d o
nettes by a substantial voussoired flat me and a cross v a u l t r e s p e c t i v e l y , t h u s i t
does not give a reference f o r the u p p e r s t r u c
arch (PI. 7). ture of H a c ı F e r r u h .
T H E M E S C İ D O F HACİ FERR'JH
183
The rectangular format is framed mediately above the ring moulding
by four bands that vary in their width which formed its base. The present co
and receede slightly inwards. The sur vering is a flat timber roof, which con
face of each band is decorated with a siderably alters the original effect
different geometric ornament carved of the interior.
in low relief. The first and the largest
one has a geometric interlace whose The inner walls are faced with
composition is similar to the one on stones from their foundations to their
the entrance portal. This is followed tops, including the hemispherical sur
by a round moulding filled with a her faces of the squinches. Here a diffe
ringbone design; a concave moulding rent kind of stone is used, which is
with a chevron pattern and a simple called «Gici Muhsine Taşı», and hasa
interlace arranged in a narrow band grey color with a smooth patina". The
(Pi. 9). With its monumental propor small blocks of stones are carefully
tions and elaborate decoration, this jointed and arranged even within the
portal seems to be more suitable as a squinches. On the whole the stone
main portal than an inner one. workmanship is more refined and bet
ter preserved than on the exterior.
2. Windows
It has been assumed that stone
The inner portal is flanked by two
construction was carried on into the
windows. The form and scale of these dome'-. This may be true and could be
windows, besides the form of the ar the reason why the dome collapsed,
ches that crown them, are reminiscent because in all the rest of the mescids
to the windows on the façade wall. in Konya, earlier or contemporary with
B. Prayer hall Hacı Ferruli, the brick domes are still
presented in a good condition.
The interior of the prayer hall,
can be defined as a single bay with a Since the entrance to the prayer
three layer elevation: the square mes- hall is not on the East wall, the mihrap
cid space, the zone of transition, and is not opposite the door, but falls to
the dome. The transition from the its left.
square to the circular base of the dome 1. Mihrap
is by fovir large squinches (Pi. 11). The
se are simple squinches in which the The mihrap has a rectangular for
joints radiate from the back of the mat which extends up to the ceiling,
squinch arch. These squinches are flan but does not project from the side
ked on the upper part by eight small walls. The format measures about 4.30
blind arcades, which produce a second m. in width and over 6.00 m. in height,
zone before the base of the dome fi and the prayer niche consists of a dou
nally starts. ble niche recession. Thus, the propor
The squinch on the South-East tions are quite monumental, conside
comer is treated in a slightly different ring the small scale of the interior
manner. Here in addition to the small (Fig. 4).
arcades flanking the squinch, there is However, its scale is not distur
a row of five small niches, whose bing, because of the selection and
forms closely follow the large hemi
spherical forms of the ones within the 15. M . Z . O r a l , ibid.
mihrap niche (PI. 13). T h i s stone is a l s o of a c a l c e r o u s o r i
g i n . I t c a n c a n be e a s i l y c a r v e d , but not easily
As stated above, at present the ori d e s t r o y e d b y n a t u r a l agencies.
ginal dome has fallen down from im 16. Î . H . K o n y a l ı , op. c i t . p. 366
ÖMÜR BAKIRER
184
handling of the material. The mihrap The stalactites of the first niche
is faced with the same kind of greyish recession are arranged in five rows.
stones as those which cover the inner These are shallow but large and have
walls, and as a result the surfaces mer a close relationship to the shape and
ge within one another. This besides arrangement of those both on the en
diminishing the monumental effect, trance portal and squinches ( P I . 1 3 ) .
brings the mihrap into perfect har The stalactites of the second smal
mony with the general effect of the in ler niche are smaller in size, and are
terior. As a result, the mihrap does not arranged in two rows (PI. 14).
stand as a foreign element, juxtaposed
with the wall, but stays in unity with CONCLUSION
the rest. There is merely a contrast of
textures between the smooth surfaces Surviving XIII. th. c. mescids are
of the stones covering the walls, and not so abundant. Only a few examples
the decorated surfaces of those used are found in Akşehir and Alanya and a
on the mihrap. larger group of them is in Konya where
These finely carved zones of deco it is possible to distinguish two differ
ration are kept to a minimum, and ent plan types. Hacı FeiTuh Mescidi be
used in bands which merely define and longs to the group of mescids where
emphasize the outlines of the compo there is a square planned an.d domed
nent elements (Pi. 12). prayer hall preceded by a closed vesti
bule. And it is one of the earliest
A large band of geometric orna examples where this plan type has been
ment frames the rectangular format. used.'*. Furthermore, with Başarabey,
This intricate interlace is similar to Erdemşah and Karatay it shows the
the ones used on the entrance and in preliminary state of this plan where the
ner portals. A second, narrower band, interior is distinctly divided into a pra
runs as a semicircular arch over the yer hall and a vestibule, but there is not
stalactites of the first pointed niche, a close unity between the two spaces
and continues within the niche reces On the other hand the exterior block
sion. The design in this case is a mul like appearance ofthemescid does not
tiple interlace carved in low relief. reveal this articulation of the ijiterior.
The niche recession has a rectan
This building can be mentioned as
gular plan with a second, smaller niche
a unique example among the rest of the
placed at its back wall". The rectangu
XIII. the century Konya mescid's, be
lar frame of this second one is defined
cause of its material and the superior
by a band of carving, running around
stone craftsmanship. Only in this mes-
the sides and the semicircular arch.
cid, both the exterior and the interior
The composition is again a geometric
one, where circular patterns follow are copletely faced with dressed stones,
one another. Each circle is linked to and the entrance is emphasized by a
the one next to it by an interlace of large and ornate portal. These features
lozenges (PI. 14). bring the building closer to the larger
structures of the XIII. th. century, than
17. T h i s seems to be the earliest example
to the small mescids wdth which its
f r o m the X H r . c. where the m i h r a p has such plan is related.
a double niche recession. T h e s a m e is repeated
i n a f e w more stone m l h r a p s built In later
y e a r s , s u c h a s : Ni&de, A l a a d d i n C a m i (c. 18. E x a m p l e s : B a ş a r a b e y , b u i l t i n 1 2 1 3 ;
1221), S u l t a n H a n in AJksaray (after 1229), Krdemgah, built i n 1220; K a r a t a y , b u U t I n
S u l t a n H a n i n K a y s e r i - S i v a s (2. 1222-1236), 1248; T a h i r ile Z ü h r e , p r o b a b l y b u i l t a r o u n d
and the D e v e l i U l u C a m i (c. 1280). 1258; B e y h e k l m , probably a r o u n d 1275.
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