'Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Architecture'
Doi
Abstract
This paper examines two buildings, the central mosque and the muftuluk building at Tomarza both built at the end of the Abdulhamid II Era. The inscription dates the central mosque construction to 1906, to replace the Hac Huseyin Mosque built in 1745, after its collapse. Following the plan of the famous Green Tomb or Mosque in Iznik, the mosque attracts attention with its portal arranged in neo-classical and empire style and its embroidered window order with coloured stones. Two storeyed muftuluk building with circular plan was built in 1904 to the west of the mosque. The upper floor of the muftuluk building projects out from the facade and gives a special elegance to this piece of architecture. The monumental gate of the mosque protruding like a portal on the other hand, gives the design of the muftuluk building its unique character, besides creating the inviting entrance. This is found to be very similar to the entrance block of the guest house at Surp Asvadzadzin Monastery, which unfortunately did not reach the present date. The paper proposes a reading of the original function of both buildings and suggests that the building of muftuluk and the monastery built at the end of the 19th century, might be the works of the same architect or the master builder.Publisher's Versio