Kütahya Kurşunlu Mosque Considering New Findings
It is an indisputable historical reality that our country, which has hosted many civilisations in the historical process, also has many immovable cultural assets belonging to these periods. Whether they belong to the Turkish period or to previous periods, the repair works carried out for the purpose of conservation in these buildings can sometimes lead to the loss of many data that can give an idea about the changes that the buildings have undergone from the date they were built to the present day and the reasons for these changes. In this context, within the framework of the data detected during the restoration works initiated by the General Directorate of Foundations in the Kurşunlu (Kasım Paşa) Mosque, which is located to the west of the Paşam Sultan Tomb in the Paşam Sultan Quarter, Kütahya city centre, the changes and transformations in both the construction date and the architectural structure of the building should be re-evaluated. This study focuses on the dating of the building, its owner and the architectural changes it has undergone in light of the new findings that emerged during these restoration activities. The irregularities seen in the plan of the building, which has a domed harim section with a plan close to square and a three-eyed last congregation place in the north, and the plastered walls uncovered below the ground code as a result of the repair works in the southwest corner of the harim section; indicate that the existing mosque was rebuilt using the walls of another building (perhaps another mosque) in this area. Restoration works show that the interior of the building was filled in time and some changes occurred in the facade, doors and windows and mihrab with the rise of the ground code. Although the three-line Arabic inscription in the building today shows that the first construction took place during the Germiyanoğulları period, the results of the studies suggest that the existing building was almost rebuilt in the 16th century.
Yeni Veriler Işığında Kütahya Kurşunlu Camii
Tarihsel süreç içerisinde pek çok uygarlığa ev sahipliği yapmış olan ülkemizin, yine bu dönemlere ait pek çok taşınmaz kültür varlığına da sahip olduğu tartışılmaz bir tarihi gerçektir. İster Türk devri isterse önceki dönemlere ait olsun söz konusu yapılarda koruma amacıyla gerçekleştirilen onarım çalışmalarında zaman zaman yapıların inşa edildikleri tarihten günümüze geçirmiş oldukları değişimleri ve bunların sebepleri konusunda fikir verebilecek birçok verinin kaybolmasına da yol açabilmektedir. Bu bağlamda Kütahya il merkezi, Paşam Sultan Mahallesi’nde, Paşam Sultan Türbesi’nin batısında yer alan Kurşunlu (Kasım Paşa) Camisinde Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü tarafından başlatılan restorasyon çalışmaları esnasında tespit edilen veriler çerçevesinde yapının, gerek inşa tarihi ve gerekse mimari yapısındaki değişim ve dönüşümlerin yeniden değerlendirilmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu çalışma, söz konusu onarım faaliyetleri esnasında ortaya çıkan yeni bulgular ışığında yapının tarihlendirme, bani ve geçirmiş olduğu mimari değişlikler üzerine yoğunlaşmaktadır. Kareye yakın bir plana sahip kubbeli harim bölümü ile kuzeyinde üç gözlü son cemaat yeri bulunan yapının, planında görülen düzensizlikler ve harim bölümünün güneybatı köşesinde onarım çalışmaları neticesinde zemin kodunun altında ortaya çıkartılan yüzeyi sıvalı duvarlar; mevcut caminin bu alanda bulunan başka bir yapının (belki de başka bir caminin) duvarlarının kullanılarak yeniden inşa edildiğini göstermektedir. Restorasyon çalışmaları, yapının içerisinin zamanla dolduğunu ve zemin kodunun yükselmesiyle birlikte cephe, kapı ve pencereler ile mihrapta bazı değişikliklerin meydana geldiğini göstermektedir. Bugün yapıda bulunan üç satırlık Arapça kitabe ilk inşasının Germiyanoğulları devrinde gerçekleştiğini göstermekle birlikte, çalışmalar neticesinde ulaşılan sonuçlar, mevcut yapının 16. yüzyılda nerdeyse yeniden inşa edildiğini düşündürmektedir.
It is an indisputable historical fact that our country, which has hosted many civilisations throughout history, also has numerous immovable cultural assets belonging to these periods. The restoration works carried out for the preservation of the buildings in question, whether they belong to the Turkish era or previous periods, can sometimes lead to the loss of much data that could provide insights into the changes these structures have undergone from their construction date to the present day, and the reasons behind these changes. In this context, the data identified during the restoration work initiated by the General Directorate of Foundations at the Kurşunlu (Kasım Pasha) Mosque, located to the west of the Paşam Sultan Tomb in the Paşam Sultan District, Kütahya city centre, indicate that a reevaluation of both the construction date and the changes and transformations in the architectural structure of the building is necessary.
The three-line Arabic inscription on the building, which has survived to the present day, states that it was constructed by the order of Sheikh Alaaddin, an important Ahi sheikh, in Kütahya, in H. 779 / A.D. 1377/1378. The building, which has a square plan with a domed harim section and a three-eyed narthex in front, shows irregularities in its plan. In addition, walls with plastered surfaces were uncovered below the ground code at the southwestern corner of the harim section because of the drilling work carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations. These findings indicate that the existing mosque was rebuilt using the walls of another building (perhaps another mosque) once located in this area.
The restoration work reveals that the interior of the building was gradually filled up over time, and as a result of the rising ground code, there were some changes in the facade, doors, windows and the mihrab. The most significant of the changes that have occurred in the building was detected at the entrance door of the harim. From the arch stones found during the work, the original door had a flat arch made of grey marble. In later periods, it was raised and gained a brick arch form. A similar transformation process is also evident in the mihrab section of the building. The mihrab, which had remained low due to the rising ground code, was raised with bricks, similar to the modifications made to the door. The two rectangular windows on the eastern facade of the building, which from the existing traces appear to have originally featured a pointed arch pediment structure, were raised as part of these processes. This transformation resulted in damage to the arches forming the pediment.
With its single-domed harim section and the three-sectioned plan to the north with the last congregation section closed on both sides, the building shows similarities with the plans of the masjids dated to the 14th and 15th centuries, especially in Bursa. In addition, the brick decorations on the north façade, which were found as a result of the plaster scraping, are similar to the façade decoration of the single-domed masjids built in the Late Byzantine architecture and the Ottoman period, especially in Bursa and its surroundings.
This article offers a re-evaluation of the building’s historical period by analysing its surviving plan, materials, and technical elements. The detailed examination of the distinctive brick decorations on the northern facade and the walls visible below the floor code provides evidence that shifts the understanding of this structure. Contrary to the long-held belief that the mosque dates from the Germiyanid period due to its inscription, these findings establish it as a 16th-century Ottoman period structure, thereby making a significant contribution to the existing scholarship.
