Göğceli Mosque

History

Göğceli Mosque stands within the Göğceli Cemetery in the Hasbahçe neighborhood of Çarşamba district. Although no foundation inscription survives, dendrochronological testing of its timber has shown that the mosque was built in 1206, during the reign of Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Kayqubad I's predecessor Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw I. This makes it Turkey's known oldest wooden mosque. The wooden portico is thought to have been added later, in 1335. The building was registered as an immovable cultural asset in 1986 and underwent a major restoration in 2007.

Architecture

Built entirely with a stacked-log timber technique and no nails, its walls are made of single-piece planks of chestnut, ash and elm. Measuring roughly 17.44 by 21.55 meters and covering 392 square meters, it is one of the largest wooden stacked-timber mosques in Turkey. Two rows of three columns support a three-section hipped roof covered with traditional tiles. The mosque has neither a dome nor a minaret, and wooden porticos wrap three of its sides. The ceiling features hand-painted floral motifs.

Visitor Information

The mosque remains an active place of worship and is one of the landmark structures of Çarşamba. Its setting inside the historic cemetery adds to the peaceful atmosphere of a visit.