Divriği Great Mosque And Hospital

Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital () was built in 1228–1229 by the local dynasty of the Mengujekids in the small Anatolian town of Divriği, Turkey. The complex is in the upper town, below the citadel. The exquisite stone carvings and eclectic architecture of the complex places it among the most important works of architecture in Anatolia and led to its inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1985.

History

Background

The city of Divriği was founded in the 9th century under Byzantine rule, but after the defeat of the Byzantines in the Battle of Manzikert (1071) it was occupied by Turkish tribes who settled the region. In this period the region of Anatolia came to be ruled by numerous competing beyliks ruled by local Turkish dynasties and offshoots of the Seljuk dynasty. In the 12th century, the Mengujekids or Mengücek dynasty controlled Divriği and other nearby cities such as Erzincan. During the same century, after the death of emir İshak, the dynasty was divided into two branches, with one ruling from Divriği while another branch ruled from Erzincan. The Mengujekids were related by marriage to the Seljuks of Konya and acknowledged them as their protectors and allies when the Sultanate of Rum, ruled from Konya, was at the height of its power

The Mengücek rulers were great patrons of arts, science, and literature. Art historian Doğan Kuban argues that this may account for why a group of exceptional artists, necessary for the construction of the mosque and hospital, would have been present in the city around this time. He also notes that the cultural environment in this part of the world was highly diverse and dynamic during this period. Various groups of artisans and craftsmen likely travelled the region and moved from patron to patron, giving rise to an eclectic style of architecture that reflected influences from different places and traditions. In 2024, the site was included within the newly established Divriği National Park, making it Turkey’s 50th national park. This designation aims to preserve not only the architectural heritage of the Great Mosque and Hospital, but also the surrounding landscape and biodiversity of the region.

Foundation

The north portal of the mosque gives the date of 626 AH (1228-9) and the name of its patron as Ahmadshāh ibn Sulaymān, who is one of the rulers of the Divriği branch of the Mengujekids. The inscription on the portal of the hospital describes the building as a ''dār al-shifā ("house of healing") and ascribes its foundation to Tūrān Malik bint Fakhr al-Dīn Bahramshāh. Fakhr al-Dīn Bahramshāh is the best-known Mengujekid ruler whose reign, in Erzincan, lasted for nearly sixty years until his death in 1225. Although it is often assumed that Ahmadshāh and Tūrān Malik were married, there is no evidence, inscriptional or otherwise, to prove a matrimonial relationship between these two members of the extended Mengujekid royal family.

The name of the chief architect is inscribed in the interior of both the mosque and the hospital and has been read as Khurramshāh ibn Mughīth al-Khilātī. The name indicates his origin in the city of Ahlat