Ala Mosque (Kadirli)
Ala Mosque (Turkish: Alacamii) is a historical mosque in Kadirli, Turkey.
Ala Mosque is in Kadirli ilçe (district) of Osmaniye Province at 32°22′23″N 36°06′10″E / 32.37306°N 36.10278°E. There is a Roman necropolis to the east of the mosque.[1]
It was a Byzantine church and monastery built in the 5th century. After the city was captured by Kasım Bey of Dulkadirids in 1489, it was converted into a mosque and a madrasa. It was initially named Alaüddevle Mescit after Kasım Bey's father Alaüddevle Bozkurt.[2] Later, the name was shortened to "Ala". During the 19th century, Ala Mosque was used as an Ottoman Army depot, and after 1865 it was restored as a mosque. In 1924, during the Turkish Republic era, it was abandoned.[3] Beginning by 2012, the building underwent a restoration.[1]
According to Richard Batliss, the dimensions of the original building was 33 m × 19.5 m (108 ft × 64 ft). A mimbar and a minaret were added during the Moslem era.[3]
