Hacı Bayram-ı Veli Mosque

Evliyâ Çelebi claims that the Mosque is the work of Mimar Sinan. This same claim is repeated by Charles Texier. Ernest Mamboury and Orhan Bayrak, however, claim that the building was repaired by Sinan in the 16th century. Mamboury also attributes the elegant proportions observed in the minaret to him. However, it is absolutely impossible for the structure in question to have been designed by Sinan or renovated in the 16th century. First of all, the mosque, being constructed almost entirely of brick, ties into a local architectural tradition specific to Ankara. Furthermore, the outlines of its design were shaped in the early second quarter of the 15th century (at least fifty years before Sinan's birth), while the mihrab, pulpit, and hand-carved ornamentation were shaped in the early 18th century (over 120 years after his death). Meanwhile, it is not possible to find any similarity between the Cenâbî Ahmed Paşa Mosque in Ankara, which is the only surviving work of Sinan and reflects the classical style of the period, and the Hacı Bayrâm-ı Velî Mosque, dating from 1565-66. Indeed, the inventory of Sinan's works The Hacı Bayrâm-ı Velî Mosque is not mentioned in the biographies containing the mosques, nor is there any documentation supporting this claim. Furthermore, Sinan made sure to include in his biographies architectural projects that underwent significant renovations during his time as the chief architect, such as the İmam-ı Azam and Abdülkâdir Geylanî mosques in Baghdad, which he could only supervise from afar, due to the spiritual prestige of the structures. Furthermore, a partially readable Arabic inscription published by Mübârek Gâlib, a compiler of inscriptions from the Turkish period in Ankara, states that only the minaret was renovated by an architect named Muhammed ibn Abu Bakr al-Hamadani. However, the date of this renovation cannot be determined. It is possible that the inscription is undated or the date is illegible. This inscription, whose current location is unknown, has been misinterpreted by some authors such as Mamboury, Akok, and Bayrak, who attributed the entire mosque's design to the aforementioned architect. However, it is understood that the minaret, rising at the southeast corner of the tomb, completely independent of the mosque complex, was constructed even later than the tomb itself, which was built shortly after the mosque itself. Incidentally, as Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi rightly points out, it is noteworthy that the minaret in question is equipped with two balconies, a distinction unique to the minarets of imperial mosques. This could be explained by the Ottoman dynasty's great respect for Hacı Bayrâm-ı Velî, or it could also be suggested that the minaret was added by a sultan himself. The first of two significant renovations the mosque underwent was carried out in 1126/1714, during the reign of Ahmed III, by Şeyh Mehmed Baba, the dervish of the lodge at the time. In this context, it appears that the fawqānī gallery to the north of the prayer hall was extended westward on arches, and the mihrab, pulpit, and interior decorations were also renewed. This restoration, documented by two inscriptions on the qibla side of the fawqānī gallery projecting westward from the prayer hall, appears to have been quite extensive. The one on the right is in Turkish, the one on the left in Arabic. Three rows of green glazed bricks were installed on the facade of the projection. Between the rows of windows located higher up, a Kalima-i Tawhid inscribed in green tiles runs along the entire facade of the projection. Between the two windows in the lower row, the phrase "Ya Velīyullah" (O Veliyullah) is written in the same style.

In some sources, it is stated that the mosque was built in the 3rd century. It was claimed that it underwent a repair during the reign of Mustafa (1757-1774), but this claim could not be proven by the documents or the architectural and decorative features of the building. The second important restoration that the mosque underwent was carried out in 1940 during the Republican period, by the General Directorate of Foundations and the architect Alaeddin Bey. In this restoration, the plan and superstructure of the building were largely preserved, but changes occurred in the narthex and the west facade, and the texture and details on the facades were renewed without remaining faithful to the original. Later, in another restoration that took place in the 1960s, changes were made to the entrance (north) facade of the mosque that contradicted the architectural identity of the building. The last repair was carried out by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in 2011. When examining the architectural features of the mosque, its condition before the 1940 renovation should be taken as a basis. The lower part of the walls is made of rubble stone, the upper part is made of brickwork with wooden beams, and the building is covered with a hipped roof covered with Turkish style tiles. There is a closed narthex with a rectangular plan in the north of the building. In the eastern part of the narthex, whose upper floor is occupied by the exalted gathering place and which is integrated into the mass of the building, there is a door giving access to the halve rooms under the mosque. The pointed arched windows date from the 1940-1941 renovation. In Texier's engraving, a round-arched portico is chosen in this direction. The rectangular planned harim, developed on the axis of the qibla, is a large and spacious space, the like of which is rarely seen in roofed mosques. The lower row of windows is framed with cut stone jambs, fitted with iron bars and crowned with pointed brick relieving arches, some of which are surmounted by rectangular skylights with wooden sills. In front of the north wall, on either side of the entrance, there are two loges, the floor of which is raised by a platform and bordered by wooden railings. The western one is the muezzin's loge. The square-section wooden pillars that carry the loggias are connected to the beams with Bursa arches. It is understood that two windows with the same layout were originally designed on the south wall, on the sides of the mihrab, but upon the construction of the tomb, the lower window on the left (east) was cancelled and converted into a niche. In contrast to this simplicity on the facades, a rich ornamentation program was implemented in the harim. The ceilings are divided into squares with slats, and small squares containing a flower motif are placed in the corners of the squares on the harim ceiling, and small gilded hemispheres are placed in the centres of the squares on the ceiling of the north gallery projection. The windows in the lower row, the ceiling of the prayer hall and the ceiling of the northern bay window, as well as the ceiling mullions of the prayer hall, the northern bay window and the western bay window window are surrounded by mouldings decorated with extremely meticulous hand-carved motifs in the classical Ottoman style. The doors and windows are crowned with panels of the Zerandud Kalima Tawhid and verses in Thuluth script. In some sources, the hand-drawn works of the mosque date back to the 15th century. century, and some in the 16th century. They are dated to the 16th century, and it is claimed, without any reference, that they are the work of Nakkaş Mustafa from Ankara, a friend of the architect Sinan. Made with a plaster molding technique and painted in pastel colors, the mihrab's material, monumental dimensions, proportions and decorative details exhibit characteristics specific to Ankara, and similar examples can be found in the same city in the 17th century. and 18. It is also found in other mosques dating back to the centuries. The wooden pulpit, where the false kundekari and grid techniques are observed, harmonizes with the decoration of the harim with its design and hand-carved works reflecting the classical style. The walls of the prayer hall are covered with tile panels in the underglaze technique up to the top level of the verse panels crowning the lower row of windows. Sunflowers containing tulips are depicted in pale blue on an off-white background. At the top, a band of verses in white Thuluth script extends on a dark blue background, also made of tiles. It is understood that the tiles in the muezzin's gallery were manufactured in Kütahya during the 1714 restoration, and the others are thought to date back to the Republican period restoration. In fact, at the end of the tile inscription band in the mentioned gallery, the signature “ketebe el-fakîr el-Şeyh Mehmed” can be read, which is understood to belong to Şeyh Mehmed Baba, who had the mosque repaired in 1714. In addition, İbrahim Hakkı Konyalı notes that there is also a tile master's signature in the form of "Hasan Geliboluvî".

It is known that an independent building was not designed for the small library of the complex, and the books were kept in wooden cabinets located in the western section of the tomb.

Baha Tanman — Architectural Features of the Hacı Bayram-ı Velî Complex

There are two inscriptions placed on the wall of the qibla side of the mosque, above the windows. The Kalima-i Tawhid is written here in two lines with green tiles. Of the inscriptions on both sides of the window, the one on the right is as follows:

The guide of the heart of truth, the source of the earth and the sky

Sheikh Mehmed Baba, the lineage of Haji Bayram-i Veli

He repaired the mosque of his ancestors, the Messenger of God

Oh my God, the glory of the soldiers of the lodge

Razi said that history will see its completion

The Mosque of Mercy, Haji Bayram-i Veli

1167

The mosque, located in Augustus Square, has a stone base, brick walls and a tile roof. The mosque, which has a longitudinal rectangular plan, leans against the Augustus Temple wall to the east and the Hacı Bayram Veli Tomb to the south.

The narthex, which covers more than half of the harem in the north and west, was added later. The minaret with a square stone base, a cylindrical brick body and two balconies rises on the southeast wall of the tomb. On the outside, the lower windows are surrounded by pointed arched stone niches. The upper windows with plaster lattices have pointed brick arches. In addition, there are rectangular intermediate windows in the narthex. On the projecting wall of the narthex facing south, the word “Kelime-i Tevhid” is written in Thuluth script with oil paint similar to green glazed brick.

The harem has a single nave and was built with coffered workmanship. It has a wooden ceiling. The wooden women's gallery is located in the north. The ceiling is surrounded by a cornice decorated with various flower patterns on the edges. The walls in the harem are covered with renewed tiles up to the tops of the windows. There are old tiles under the muezzin's gallery. These are 18th century Kütahya tiles. The mihrab with a muqarnas niche made with the molding technique was painted later. It is surrounded by a muqarnas frieze on the outermost. Its top is paved with palmette leaves like a crenellation. The "Kelime-i Tevhid" is repeated in neshi script on the second border. The third border is filled with polygons forming stars. The fourth border is decorated with neshi script again repeating the "Kelime-i Tevhid". The pulpit painted on wood made with the imitation kundekari technique exhibits quality workmanship.

All the painted woodwork in the mosque was done by Nakkaş Mustafa. The mosque was repaired by Mehmet Baba, one of the grandsons of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, in 1714. The mosque, which was first built in 1427–1428, has completely acquired the character of the late 17th and early 18th century Ankara mosques with its ceiling, mihrab-minbar decoration, tiles under the muezzin's gallery and ceiling construction. The repair inscription also shows this. Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque is one of the most important mosques in Ankara.

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