Sadirvan Mosque
| Sadirvan Mosque | |
|---|---|
 Sadirvan Mosque in 2012, before restoration | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| District | Drama |
| Province | Eastern Macedonia and Thrace |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Exhibition centre |
| Location | |
| Location | Drama, Greece |
| State | Greece |
  The mosque in Drama | |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°09′04.63″N 24°08′53.51″E / 41.1512861°N 24.1481972°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Completed | 15th century |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | 0 |
| Materials | Stone, brick |
The Sadirvan Mosque (Greek: Σαντιρβάν Τζαμί, from Turkish: Şadırvan Camii, lit. 'mosque of the fountain') is an old Ottoman-era mosque in the town of Drama, northern Greece. It is one of the four surviving mosques in Drama today, although like the rest of them it is not open for worship.
The mosque was abandoned in the 1920s, following the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey which saw the exodus of the Muslim community of Drama. For more than fifty years it was used as a newspaper office before it was left neglected for decades. Finally, it was restored and renovated in the late 2010s and now serves as an exhibition centre for the town’s historical and cultural events.
History
[edit]The mosque’s minaret dates back to the second half of the fifteenth century; according to the dedicatory inscription above its entrance, it was renovated the year 1806 by local Mehmet Halil Agha (the father of Mahmud Dramali Pasha, an Ottoman military leader who attempted to suppress the Greek War of Independence).[1] It continued to function as an islamic place of worship until 1922, thereupon it was used as shelter for numerous Greek refugees arriving from Asia Minor.[1]
For fifty-four years between 1927 and 1981 it housed the headquarters of the Greek newspaper Tharros, the longest-running newspaper in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.[2][3] Later in 1983 it was classified by the state as a monument, but left neglected as it continued to rot until its minaret collapsed. In 2012 it was purchased by Raycap, which proceeded to renovate the old building.[1] The extensive work was undertaken by the team of architect Koralia Pappaioannou, and ever since it has housed several periodical exhibitions.[3]
Today the mosque stands in the intersection of the Armen and Agamemnon streets.[2]
Description
[edit]The mosque is made of stone, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the southwestern side the base of the minaret can be observed, although the minaret itself no longer stands. A marble inscription written in Ottoman Turkish is placed above the lintel.[2] Originally it was part of a larger complex that included dormitories, a cemetery, and a fountain, all within an enclosed courtyard.[3]
Remarkably, its 19th-century frescoes with cityscape views and floral patterns survive in the portico of the mosque, perhaps constituting the first (if idyllic and idealised) depiction of Drama town from the late Ottoman rule.[2]
According to Papaioannou, during the course of the renovation works several architectural fragments of older structures were discovered as well, which were used as structural elements for the mosque, as well as other pieces of the mosque itself, scattered in the surrounding area.[4]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Σαντιρβάν" [Sadirvan]. benaki.org (in Greek).
- ^ a b c d Manent-Triantafyllidi 2016, p. 16.
- ^ a b c Stathopoulos, Demetres (January 29, 2024). "Σαντιρβάν Τζαμί, ένας φάρος πολιτισμού καταμεσής της πόλης στη Δράμα" [Sadirvan Mosque, a beacon of culture in the heart of Drama]. travel.gr (in Greek).
- ^ Lifo team (January 21, 2020). "Το Σαντιρβάν τζαμί ξαναβρίσκει τη χαμένη αίγλη του - Αποκαταστάθηκε το περίτεχνο τέμενος στη Δράμα" [The Sadirvan Mosque regains its lost glory - The ornate mosque in Drama has been restored]. lifo.gr (in Greek).
Bibliography
[edit]- Manent-Triantafyllidi, Sylvie (26 November 2016). 2500 χρόνια ιστορίας σε 60'. Πολιτιστική Διαδρομή στην πόλη της Δράμας [2500 years of history in 60 minutes: a cultural itinerary in the town of Drama] (PDF) (in Greek). Drama municipality. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-11-26.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Şadırvan Mosque, Drama at Wikimedia Commons
