The Great Mosque and Ancient Medical Center

The ruler Suleyman Sahoglu Ahmet Sah of the Mengucek tribe built the Great Mosque in 1228. Entrance, having 1280 sq. meterscentral countryard, is through the three soberbly decorated stone work gates on the west, north, and south.

The Medical Center was built by Berham Sah's daughter Melike Turan Melek in 1228. This unique monument is 768 sq. meters. As it was transformed into a Medresseh, it was also called Sifaiye Medresseh. 

As an outstanding sample of early Anatolian period, Divrigi Ulu Mosque and Medical Center is a unique building in itself with its planning, elements of architectural scales, harmonic and balanced decoration and coverings. 

It's very surprising that this building was built in the secondary center of one of the weakest and smallest Turkish principalities in Anatolia. Divrigi decoration is an evidence that we are face to face with a great artist. 

However, this structural and decorational programme in Divrigi Ulu Mosque and Medical Center is so complex that it cannot be explained by the creativity of a few artists. In other words, in a small historical and geographical niche, the uniqueness of Divrigi is not because of its being self-sufficient with authentic display of culture, but because of its being the source of whole encyclopedic reflection of Middle Eastern and Near Eastern (esp. Seljukian Period) art and craft atmosphere.

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