Beyşehir Eşrefoğlu Mosque
- Religious
Located in Beyşehir, Konya, just 100 meters from Lake Beyşehir, Eşrefoğlu Mosque is the largest wooden-roofed and wooden-columned mosque in Anatolia. Built between 1296 and 1299 by the Eşrefoğlu Beylik, this mosque is regarded as one of the finest example
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Beyşehir Eşrefoğlu Mosque: Anatolia’s Wooden Heritage
Located in Beyşehir, Konya, just 100 meters from Lake Beyşehir, Eşrefoğlu Mosque is the largest wooden-roofed and wooden-columned mosque in Anatolia. Built between 1296 and 1299 by the Eşrefoğlu Beylik, this mosque is regarded as one of the finest examples of wooden-columned mosques, resembling those found in Samarkand and Bukhara.
In 2023, Eşrefoğlu Mosque was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the five wooden hypostyle mosques. It remains one of the most magnificent examples of Seljuk-era stone and wood craftsmanship that has survived to this day.
Architectural Features of Eşrefoğlu Mosque
🏛 Anatolia’s Largest Wooden-Columned Mosque
🔹 Built on over forty wooden columns.
🔹 Legend has it that the wooden columns were submerged in water for six months before construction to prevent decay.
🔹 During winter, accumulated snow on the roof was thrown into the central pool to maintain humidity inside the mosque.
🔹 This technique helped prevent the wooden columns from cracking and drying out, ensuring the mosque’s longevity for centuries.
🔹 In 1965, the pool was covered with glass, bringing an end to this tradition.
🎨 Magnificent Mihrab and Minbar
🔹 The mosque features a six-meter-tall mihrab covered with mosaic tiles.
🔹 The minbar is entirely made of walnut wood, constructed without nails or glue using an interlocking technique
