Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque and Four-Legged Minaret
Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque (Sheikh Mattar Mosque, Four-Legged Minaret Mosque, Kasım Bey Mosque, Kasım Padishah Mosque) is a mosque built in Diyarbakır in 1500 by Kasım Bey, one of the Akkoyunlu lords.
It is one of the most important monumental works of Akkoyunlus. It was built on the land where the tomb of Sheikh Mutahhar is located. It is known as the Sheikh Matar Mosque among the people, but it is also referred to as Kasım Bey Mosque or Kasım Padişah Mosque in the sources.
It is famous for its four-legged minaret. The structure, which was built as four corners on a monolithic stone column, is the only example of a four-legged minaret in Anatolia. The four feet represent the four Islamic sects. According to a belief, the wish of a person who passes under the pillars seven times is granted. There is probably a balcony and honeycomb on the minaret, which was added to the mosque later.
Located in a narrow street next to Hasan Pasha Inn, the mosque has a square plan and a single dome. There are three windows on each side and two on the north and south, and all of them have recesses inside and outside that are closed with arches. The sections on both sides of the mihrab, which look like window arches, are passageways that provide access to a small mahfile on the upper floor via stairs.
In 2015, the columns of the minaret were damaged in a clash between YDG-H members and the police. Diyarbakir Bar Association President Tahir Elçi was shot dead in front of the minaret on 29 November 2015 by gunfire after he made a press statement condemning the incident, together with lawyers from the bar association.
