Hacıbayram Mosque

HACI BAYRAM MOSQUE

Hacı Bayram-ı Veli

Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, whose real name was Numan-bin Koyunluca Ahmet was born in the Solfasol village of Ankara in 1352 (753 H.)

He is the founder of the Bayrami sect, a sufi poet and composer of hymns. Upon competing his education in Ankara and Bursa, he started to teach at the theological school called Karamedrese in Ankara, which was built by a philantrophic lady called Meklike Hatun.

Hacı Bayram Mosque

It is located in the Ulus section of Ankara next to the Augustus temple.

Originally built in 831 H (1427/28), the mosque as it stands today shows the characteristics of late 17th century and 18th century mosques.

It has a lengthwise rectangular plan and the sections at north and west are later additions.

At the south east wall of the mausoleum, there is a two - gallery minaret with a square plan, stone base and brick body.

There is an inscription of Word of the God (Kelime-i Tevhid) in large Arabic calligraphy (sülüs) on the protrouting southern wall of the late-comer's section.

Single interior space is covered with a wooden ceiling. The hexagonal large rosette in the center of the ceiling is framed with six rows of flowered borders. The same rosette in smaller scale can be seen on the central rectangular panel of the ceiling of the annexed section west to the women's section. The edges of the ceiling of the inner space of the mosque are decorated with flower patterned cornices. The same type of cornices are also used in the women's section.

The lower windows of the mosque are rectangular and have iron grids. On the exterior they are bordered with niches with pointed arches. Upper windows are pointed arched, have plaster gratings and stained glass and bordered with chiselled plant motives.

On the interior, Kütahya tiles are placed up to the top of the windows. After the tiles, transition to plain wall is made with a border of chiselled palmette.

The plaster Mihrab is built with a moulding technique and is in the form of stalacti niched. Pieces from Koran are inscribed in five rows on the pediment of the Mihrab

The Word of God can be seen on Mihrab borders as decoration. Colored Mimbar is made with false "kündekari" technique and displays a fine workmanship.

The painted engravings on wood are made by the engraver Nakkaş Mustafa. Two inscriptions on kıble side indicate that the mosque was restored in 1714 by one of the grandsons of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, Mehmet Baba.

Hacı Bayram Mausoleum

The mausoleum which is dated as 1429, is next to thee mihrab wall of the mosque.

It is a structure with a square plan, octagonal drum and a leaded dome covers it. The front façade is marble. Portal is particularly defined on the façade. It has a slided arch decorated with black and white marbles in a rectangular frame and on the inside there is an entrance door arch decorated with interlocking colored stones in a zig zag pattern. The wooden exterior and interior entrance doors are at Ankara Ethnography Museum. The window to the left of the portal is bordered with a multi colored friese and has iron grills. This is one of the best examples of 15 ^th century mausaleums of Ankara

There is another mausoleum in the garden of the mosque which has octagonal plan and a dome. This work which is known as Osman Fazıl Pasha Mausoleum belongs to the 18th century.

Ankara Augustus Temple

It was built by the Roman Emperor Augustus, probably in the years 25 - 20 B.C at the location which was the Kyble and Men sacred location. The marble temple which is 36 x 54,82 stands on a multi- step podium

The temple is significant for its Latin and greek inscriptions which depict the doings of Augustus. Augustus Temple has survived until our times in considerably good shape