Diyarbakir - Ulu Cami

The jewel in Diyarbakir's crown, its Great Mosque, stands on the west side of Ulu Cami Meydani, in the town center. Modeled on the Omayyad mosque in Damascus, it was built in the 11th/12th century and is thought to occupy the site of a fifth century Christian church. It has been restored several times, in particular following the great fire which resulted from an earthquake in 1115. In the early days a third of the mosque was apparently reserved for Christian use. Above the main courtyard entrance are reliefs of lions and bulls. Ancient columns and capitals are incorporated into the structure of the three-aisle prayer hall with its central crossing as well as into the two-storyed arcading of the facade. Like the mosque itself the square minaret is Syrian in style.