Hacı Bayram Veli Cami

Hacı Bayram Veli Cami is located on Bayram Sokak in Augustus Meydanı. It is a mosque with a stone base, brick walls, and a tiled roof. The mosque, whose plan is a longitudinal rectangle, leans against the wall of the Augustos Temple on the east and Hacıbayram Veli Türbesi on the south.

Photo: Hamit Yalçın

The last congregation area, covering more than half of the harem on the north and west, was added later. The minaret, with a square stone base, cylindrical brick body, and two balconies, rises on the southeast wall of the tomb. On the exterior, the lower windows are surrounded by pointed-arched stone niches. The upper windows with plaster grilles have pointed brick arches. In the last congregation area, moreover, rectangular intermediate windows are lined up. On the projecting wall of the last congregation area facing south, “Kelime-i Tevhid” is written in sülüs script with oil paint resembling green glazed brick.

Charles Texier. Asia Mineure. Paris, 1849

The harem is single-aisled and was made with coffered workmanship. It has a wooden ceiling. On the north is the wooden women's gallery. The ceiling is surrounded at the edges by a molding decorated with various floral patterns. In the harem, the walls are covered up to above the windows with renewed tiles. Old tiles exist under the müezzin gallery. These are Kütahya tiles belonging to the 18th century. The mihrab with a muqarnas niche, made with the molding technique, was painted later. On the outermost part, it is surrounded by a muqarnas frieze. Its top is crowned with palmet leaves like battlements. In the second border, “Kelime-i Tevhid” is repeated in neshi script. The third border is filled with polygons forming stars. The fourth border is again decorated with neshi script in which “Kelime-i Tevhid” is repeated. The painted minber on wood, made with the imitation kündekari technique, displays high-quality workmanship.

All painted decorations on wood in the mosque were made by Nakkaş Mustafa. The mosque was repaired in 1714 by Mehmet Baba, one of the grandsons of Haci Bayram-ı Veli. The mosque, whose first construction dates to 1427–1428, has completely acquired the character of Ankara mosques of the late 17th century and early 18th century with its ceiling, mihrab-minber workmanship decoration, the tiles under the müezzin gallery, and the construction of the ceiling. The repair inscription also shows this. Hacı Bayram Veli Cami is one of Ankara’s most important mosques.

Photo: Ankara İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü

Source: Ankara İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü

Places to Visit in Ankara

Address: Hacı Bayram Mahallesi Sarıbağ Sk. No:13 06050 Altındağ/Ankara