An image of the courtyard of the Isa Bey Mosque exhibiting the fountain situated in the centre of the courtyard, which was probably also used by worshippers to perform ablution.
In the background, the northern end of the courtyard can be seen, which forms the entrance to the prayer hall — the mihrab is also visible in the very end. Note that the few images of the Isa Bey Mosque in this collection are from the middle of the 20th century. Since then, the mosque has undergone considerable renovation and repair (in the 1970s and then in 2005). The northern end of the courtyard today is very different. The prayer halls and the courtyard stand separated by glass windows, and the interior of the hall has also been changed significantly. The Isa Bey Mosque, the oldest active mosque in Turkey and one of the most impressive remnants of Anatolian Turkish architecture, resting on the outskirts of the Ayasluğ Hills at Selçuk, İzmir. This "congregational mosque was built in 1375. According to an inscription over the main portal, it was the work of 'Ali b. al-Dimishqi for 'Isa b. Muhammad b. Aydin (r. 1360-90), the Aydinid sultan whose domain extended from western Anatolia to the Greek islands. Measuring some 53 by 57 meters, it has high walls constructed of rought-cut ashlars enclosing a spacious courtyard (27 by 35 meters) which is bordered on three sides by two-storied porticoes ... Much of the building material was undoubtedly salvaged from the ruins of Ephesus, to judge from the many spolia used, but other pieces were made specifically for the mosque ... Many features of the mosque, from its plan and elevation to the decoration with marble inlay, relate to earlier Syrian buildings, most notably the Umayyad mosque of Damascus. This Syrian connection is no surprise, given the origins of 'Ali b. al-Dimishqi (" 'Ali the son of the Damascene")" (Blair and Bloom, 135). Note that the Isa Bey Mosque has undergone considerable renovation and looks considerably different from what is visible in this image. -MA
Creation date unknown. Processing date unknown. Formerly catalogued as B41.061, N.005. Notes written on the slide or index: Selçuk, Isa Bey Camii.
