Alaybey Mosque (Bozcaada)
Although the exact date of construction is not known, it is estimated that it was built around 1700. It is highly probable that the ruined Ali Ağa Mosque was rebuilt by the Commander of the Castle, Miralay (colonel) Ahmet Ağa and that its name derives from that. The name of one of the two neighborhoods of the island is Alaybey Mahallesi. The mosque is made of red cut stone. The entrance to the mosque is through a double-winged wooden door with a low arch on the north facade, which is reached by five stone steps. Its minaret is made of white cut stone in the north-west corner. The cheer railings are carved, with stalactite under the balcony.
Inside the mosque, the mihrab and window tops are decorated with branch motifs in baroque style. The ceiling is wood with simple workmanship. There is no decoration on the pulpit and the altar. The women's gathering place is accessed by a wooden staircase located at the corners on both sides of the entrance door. 6 wooden columns carry the women's mahfil. There is a small “graveyard” in the courtyard of the mosque. One of the 14 graves here belongs to Halil Hamit Pasha, who was the grand vizier in the Ottoman Empire. It is open to worship.
