Åžirvani Camii, Åžirvani Mehmet Efendi Camii or Ä°ki Åžerefeli Camii is a
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
in
Gaziantep
Gaziantep, historically Aintab and still informally called Antep, is a major city in south-central Turkey. It is the capital of the Gaziantep Province, in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Medi ...
, Turkey.
It is located in the SeferpaÅŸa neighborhood, southwest of
Gaziantep Castle
Gaziantep Castle () is a castle on top of a mound in the centre of Gaziantep, Turkey. First used as an observation point during the Hittite Empire, it was expanded into a castle during Roman rule. The castle was severely damaged by earthquakes i ...
. The mosque, which is one of the oldest in the city, was undertaken by Åžirvani Mehmet Effendi.
Another name for the mosque is the Ä°ki Åžerefeli Camii (Double Balcony Mosque) because, unlike conventional mosques which have only one, its
minaret
A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
has two balconies. Also distinctively, the
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
is located in a special slot and is moved out for special services.
On 6 February 2023, the mosque was seriously damaged by
two consecutive earthquakes.
References
Mosques in Gaziantep
{{Turkey-mosque-stub