Isabey Mosque

Isabey Mosque is the last memorial work of art left by those civilizations that came and went through Ephesus. This great mosque was built on the side of the hill where Ayasuluk Castle and St. John's Church are located. In early times Isabey Mosque attracted large crowds and was built between Christian and idolatrous centres of worship.

Because of its topographical situation the north and east faces were planted in the hillside. For this reason its stateliness and splendour are more noticeable on its western side. The building measures 51 by 57 m, nearly square. The great western door is decorated with stalactite-type figures and has an inscription of dedication. The inscription reads like this:

"This blessed mosque was built in the name of the merciful and compassionate God, by order of the great sultan Isa Aydinoglu son of Mehmet, sultan of Islam and Muslims, upholder of state, religion and the world. May God protect all that belongs to him. Ali Ibni Dimiski wrote this in the month of Sevval, the ninth day, in the year 1376."

As can be understood from this inscription written in Arabic, the mosque was completed in 1375 by Isa Bey, son of Mehmet Bey and designed by Ali, son of Samli.

The outer court is entered through a magnificent door, the courtyard itself surrounded on three sides by a portico, with a ritual fountain in the centre. There are two other doors that open into the court. It is supposed that the porticos were covered with a wooden roof. Beside the entrances on the eastern and western sides of the mosque are two brick minarets. A portion of the minaret on the west is still standing where one can see a turquoise glaze over the bricks. The eastern wall has completely fallen down.

The main part of the mosque can be entered from the court by a three-arched door. Four granite columns support this section with two domes on top. The dome pendants over the mihrab are decorated with ceramic tiles. Of the four column capitals three are decorated Turkish style with stalactites and the other is Roman style. Verses are written on the arches where they meet the columns. The mihrab was probably decorated with marble plaques. However, when the mosque was used as a caravanserai another door was opened and ruined the balance of the building, and the marble was stolen.

The best-preserved western side was built following Konya Selçuk style and possesses an asymmetric appearance. We can understand from what remains, that in the corners there were stylized lilies. On the left above the windows were stalactite patterns and hadith verses. On the right were assorted patterns and on the lower windows were red keystone patterns. It can easily be seen from the structure of the mosque, especially in the columns, that there was heavy borrowing from the ruins of Ephesus.
This mosque holds an important place in Art History and serves as a transition from Selçuk to Ottoman architecture thanks to being the first Turkish mosque to have two places for congregation.