Mosques and tombs in Islamic societies are structures that are the center of social, political, cultural and artistic services. Zile’s historical past and cultural heritage dates back to the Roman period. Zile is a district rich in religious and civil architecture. One of the important building types of Turkish-Islamic architecture is mosques and tombs. One of these mosques and tombs is Sheikh Ethem Çelebi (Beyazıt Bestami) Mosque and the Musa Fakih Tomb located in the district center.

The word “cami”, which comes from the root “cem” in Arabic and means “gathering, bringing together”, is an abbreviation of the definition of el-mescidü’l, which was first used for large mosques where only Friday prayers were performed. Over time, mosques where Friday prayers were performed and a pulpit was built for the imam to read the sermon were used as mosques, while small temples without a pulpit, i.e., where Friday prayers were not performed, were used only as masjids. Masjid is a building name meaning “place of prostration” from the root sücüd, which means “to bow, to put the forehead on the ground with humility” in Arabic. There are two types of plan schemes in the mosque architecture of the Turkish Islamic period. The first of these is the multi-supported, domed grand mosques where the naves developed parallel to the mihrab wall intersect with another nave in front of the mihrab. The second is the structures with open courtyards in the middle, swans, domes in front of the mihrab and multisupports. We can give examples of the first plan scheme as Diyarbakır Ulu Mosque and Bitlis Ulu Mosque. We can give examples of the second plan scheme as Malatya Ulu Mosque and Adana Ulu Mosque. The first structures in Ottoman architecture sit on dome body walls.

In terms of cultural heritage located in the district center, Zile is one of the leading rich districts of Tokat. Historically, it has been an important center of many important states. Compared to other districts of Tokat, Zile, which has a historical past, has different types of structures built in different periods. One of these different types of structures consists of mosques, tombs and fountains. The structure gives the impression of a small social complex consisting of a mosque, tomb and fountain. The Sheikh Ethem Çelebi Mosque and Tomb located in the district center is also known as the Beyazıt Bestami Mosque and Tomb in sources

The mosque has a rectangular plan close to a square. The upper cover of the structure is inclined in three directions, covered with wood from below, covered with tiles from the outside and made in the form of a hipped roof. The eaves are wide toward the outside and covered with wood from below. The main walls of the structure supports the weight of the roof. The roof dominates the space where the mosque side is located. The decoration in the mosque is generally concentrated on the mihrab and ceilings. In particular, a border belt with plant decorations extends around the mihrab from three sides. These plant decorations are made in the form of gold gilding on a blue background. The plant decorations mostly include rosettes, peaches, curly branches and palmettes.

The mosque is built on a single floor, but the upper cover is in the form of a roof. There are two windows on the south facade of the structure. The north facade opens to a garden. The east facade is blind. The entrance to the mosque is provided from the west facade. There is one window at the bottom and three windows at the top on the west facade of the mosque. The entrance door is made of wood with a single wing, the upper floor windows are made of wood and the lower floor windows are made of PVC. The lower floor windows have iron bars. There are no iron bars on the upper floor windows. The plaster on some parts of the walls of the structure has fallen off. The entrance to the tomb is made from inside the mosque, but it is also made from the south facade. The upper cover dome drum of the tomb is kept high. In addition, there are rectangular wooden windows on the dome drums. There is a door and two windows on the south facade of the structure. There are no windows on the east facade. 

The minaret is on the north side of the structure. It has a square base, a cylindrical body, a single balcony and is covered with a dome. The entrance to the tomb is barrel-arched and the door is made of wood. The entrance door has marble coating on three sides. The entrance section of the mosque is slightly lower due to the road level. The windows are made of wood and are undecorated. The dome of the tomb is octagonal. The dome is plastered from the inside and covered with tiles from the outside and covered with lead. There are windows made of wood on the dome drum. The eaves are wide to the outside and covered with wood from the bottom. There are deteriorations and flaking in the plasters of the walls. Similar situations are also seen on the dome drum. The ceiling part is flat with wooden slats in the middle and is made in square and rectangular shapes. The edges are made in the shape of a diamond and have geometric decorations. A blue tone is applied on a white background on the ceiling. The ceiling moldings are made in the shape of a diamond. The pulpit and the sermon podium were made without decoration. There are three panels on the west and east sides of the walls of the harim section and two panels on the south side. The interior walls are made of wooden paneling up to the basement level. The interior walls of the mosque are undecorated compared to the tomb. 

The tomb section has more decorations than the mosque. Especially on the interior walls of the tomb, there are intense plant decorations. There is a sunburst form in the middle of the dome. Motifs and decorations are usually in a form. There are plant decorations and panels on the dome skirts and drums. Palmette motifs are seen more frequently on the dome skirt, which is stylize and decorated with curved branches and rumi. Baroque medallions are placed in the triangular areas between the arches. Under the medallions, there is a large watermelon in a footed fruit plate. Information about the people whose graves are located is written on the walls of the tomb. There are weeping willows, cypresses and decorative plants on the arches of the tomb. There is a depiction of the city of Mecca and the Kaaba on the tomb wall. The fountain is built adjacent to the tomb wall and has a single facade. There is a long rectangular basin (trough) in front of the structure. There is no decorative element in the structure. There are deteriorations and separations in the basin part of the fountain. The basin part is divided into three parts with this deterioration. Intervention is necessary to protect the fountain. First, the reservoir part should be scrapped. 

In this study, the place and importance of the mosque, tomb and the wall paintings on the tomb in 19th century Turkish art were revealed and an attempt was made to determine their current status. First, the island, plot and parcel statuses, geographical location and history were examined. In the following section, the plan, facade and ornamental features of the structure are examined in detail. The study was evaluated on a single structure. The research was limited to the Sheikh Ethem Çelebi Mosque and Tomb. As a result of the studies conducted on the Sheikh Ethem Çelebi Mosque and Tomb, the architectural and ornamental features of the structure are similar to the structures belonging to the mosque and tomb architecture in the rural textures of the surrounding regions. The fact that the mosque and tomb are together shows the characteristics of a social complex. The fact that the mosque is built in a rectangular shape close to a square in plan is similar to the structures around it. If we were to give a few examples of these structures, we can give the Boyacı Hasanağa Mosque, Alacamescit Mosque, Alçılı Village Mosque, Karahoca Village Mosque and Cumapazarı Mosque. 

The mosque and tomb section are currently undergoing restoration interventions. The plaster debris on the walls of the structure should be scraped and cleaned. The windows and doors of the mosque have been replaced and similarly, the original windows and doors should be made from wood. The corroded window bars should be replaced. The interior walls of the tomb should be scraped and cleaned. The separations seen in the basin section of the fountain should be scraped, the joints should be filled, and the plaster should be applied. Today, the mosque and tomb structure are being restored with material and moral support by conducting surveys, restitution and restoration projects and obtaining permissions from the necessary places. It is important in terms of cultural heritage that such structures are restored and, protected and their sustainability is ensured. Geometric and plant decorations, which started to be seen in civil structures in the 18th century, have shown an increasing tendency until today. In particular, these decorations are not limited to civil structures only, but have also been seen in religious structures. However, depictions used in religious spaces are also encountered in mosques located in small district centers, far from the center, rather than in large cities.