Sheikh Fethullah Mosque

Sheikh Fethullah Mosque, located in the Kepenek neighborhood of Gaziantep, is popularly referred as the ‘Aşağı Sheikh mosque’. The name is preferred not to be confused with the Shah Veli Mosque, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the mosque. In fact, this is how the name of the mosque is mentioned in court records. Among the most famous mosques in the city, the constructive of this mosque is Sheikh Fethullah. He is known as a wise man of that time. Shaykh Fethullah is said to be a descendant of Ebubekir. The Sheikh Fethullah mosque was built in 1563. The harim(sanctuary) part sits on an octagonal stone. The vaults here open like a fan. Harim is included in the cover system by means of hanger type belts. This is the first time such a covering system has been applied here. There is no second instance of this in mosques in Turkey. In spite of the stone foot, it is officially evaluated in the group of centrally planned mosques. Inside the Sheikh Fethullah Mosque, there is the Tomb of Molla Mehmet, who was martyred during the defense of Antep. The shrine, located in the garden section, is of interest to visitors. At the basic level, the mosque consists of sections such as zaviye(zawiyah), madrasa, hazire(forbidden area surrounded with fences) and Kestel. The architect of the mosque is not known for certain. There is no inscription of repair or construction which has been reached to date. Despite this, the mosque was repaired in the mid-16th century. The last repair work related to the mosque takes place in 1974. With this repair, the last parish is closed. A significant transformation also takes place in the field of Mahfil(gathering-place). The stone parts of the minaret are completely replaced. Finally, the fountain of the mosque is renovated. The mosque and lodges areas are adjacent. The doors lead you straight to the final communion. This section contains a window reminiscent of the Bursa arch. Just above this, there are two more pointed arched windows. The single- minaret balcony sits on a very high pedestal.