The Karatarla Mosque is a historic place of worship located on Eskisaray Street in the Karatarla neighborhood of Gaziantep. It is known for its richly ornamented minaret.
Originally built as a small mosque in 1586, the structure was expanded and converted into a full-scale mosque in 1621 by a philanthropist named Yürükzâde Gergerî Halil Çavuş. It took on its current form in 1775. 1
It is situated in a triangular courtyard. It consists of two sections running parallel to the mihrab. It has a wooden roof. It features three domes arranged in a row from the front of the mihrab to the rear prayer area.2 The muezzin’s platform is located above the entrance to the prayer hall. The exterior facade features black, white, yellow, and red stones, reflecting the tradition of Gaziantep stonework.
The body of the minaret rises from its base to the finial, following a fluted line.3 The panels beneath the balcony are adorned with elaborate muqarnas clusters. The dome was damaged during the French occupation and bombardments of the Gaziantep Defense and was subsequently rebuilt in the Republican era to match its original design.4
The mosque underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2014.5 During this restoration, the minaret was dismantled and rebuilt true to its original design.
The mosque sustained damage in the earthquakes of February 16, 2023, and its minaret collapsed.
