Alaaddin Mosque: Niğde’s Seljuk Portal of Shadows

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1. What is Alaaddin Mosque?
2. How do you get to Alaaddin Mosque?
3. When is the best time to visit Alaaddin Mosque?
4. What is the history of Alaaddin Mosque?
5. What is Alaaddin Mosque famous for?
6. What can you see at Alaaddin Mosque?
7. Frequently asked questions about Alaaddin Mosque
8. What do the official records say about Alaaddin Mosque?

What is Alaaddin Mosque?

The Alaaddin Mosque (Alaaddin Camii) is the main Seljuk mosque of Niğde, built in 1223 on the hill in the centre of the town. The 2002 inventory places it among the most important Turkish-Islamic monuments and calls it, in architectural terms, one of the most interesting examples of its type, reflecting all the refinement of Seljuk decorative art.

Its fame rests on a single detail. On summer mornings, sunlight falling on the carved stone of the east portal casts shadows that form the profile of a woman wearing a crown, the “Taçlı Kadın Başı”. The mosque is still in use for prayer and open to visitors.

How do you get to Alaaddin Mosque?

The mosque stands on Alaaddin Hill in the centre of Niğde, a short walk uphill from the main shopping streets. The castle tower and clock tower are just to the northeast, and the Hatıroğlu Fountain is opposite the mosque, so all three can be seen together. Niğde is reached by bus from Ankara, Kayseri, Nevşehir and Adana; the nearest airport is Nevşehir Kapadokya.

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When is the best time to visit Alaaddin Mosque?

To see the crowned woman’s head, come on a sunny summer morning. Opening hours change through the year, so check them before you visit. Arrive early and watch the shadows move. At other times of year the portal is still worth seeing, but the figure does not form. Avoid prayer times, especially Friday midday, for the interior.

What is the history of Alaaddin Mosque?

The mosque was built in 1223, in the reign of the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, by Zeynettin Beşare, governor (sancak beyi) of Niğde. Its inscription names the master builders as Sıddık and his brother Gazi, with Müstenireddin as supervisor of the works, according to the provincial culture and tourism directorate.

The early 13th century was Niğde’s high point under the Seljuks, and the mosque was built at the same time as Alaeddin Keykubad’s repairs to the castle on the same hill. A legend explains the hidden face: the stone carver, it is said, fell in love with the governor’s daughter and, unable to marry her, made her portrait in the shadows of the portal so that it would last for ever.

The inventory notes that in recent years the mosque has been included in the programmes of some travel agencies.

What is Alaaddin Mosque famous for?

• The crowned woman’s head. The inventory describes it as an artistic subtlety not seen elsewhere in Islamic architecture, the first and only example of its kind.
• The east portal. The most magnificent part of the mosque, built in the traditional Seljuk manner.
• Two-coloured stone. Grey and yellow stone used to relieve the plain walls.
• Lion-head spouts. Gargoyles carved as stylised lions’ heads.

What can you see at Alaaddin Mosque?

The east portal. The mosque has two portals, and the inventory singles out the east one as the grandest, built in the traditional Seljuk manner. At certain hours and minutes, only in summer, the shadows left by sunlight on its stone carving form the crowned woman’s head.

The walls. To relieve the monotony of the undecorated walls, two colours of stone, grey and yellow, were used.

The spouts. The water spouts that collect rain from the roof are stylised as lions’ heads; look for them along the roof line.

The prayer hall. The interior is in use for daily prayers; dress modestly and remove your shoes.

Around the mosque. Opposite is the Hatıroğlu Fountain of 1276, and to the northeast the surviving tower of Niğde Castle with its clock tower.

Frequently asked questions about Alaaddin Mosque

What do the official records say about Alaaddin Mosque?

The Alaaddin Mosque, which holds great importance among Turkish-Islamic works, was built in 1223 by Zeynettin Beşare, governor of Niğde, in the period of the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I.

The mosque, built on Alaaddin Hill in the city centre, has the figure of a “Crowned Woman’s Head” at its entrance door. Reflecting all the subtleties of Seljuk decorative art, the work is, especially in architectural terms, one of the most interesting examples of its type. The most magnificent part of the two-portalled mosque is the east portal, made in the traditional Seljuk manner. Opening hours change through the year, so check them before you visit. This artistic subtlety, not seen in Islamic architecture, is the first and only example of its kind. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Niğde Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)

Main photo: Klaus-Peter Simon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.