Grand Mosque

The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır is one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia and is also known as the fifth Haram al Sharif. Although its exact construction date is unknown, it is believed to have been created by converting the Mar Toma Church, the largest church in the city, into a mosque in 639 AD. This conversion is considered one of the important steps in the spread of Islam in the region. Throughout history, the Great Mosque has been valued and renovated by many important rulers, including the Great Seljuk Sultan Melikshah, the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev, the Akkoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan, and Ottoman sultans. Furthermore, various additions and modifications were made to the mosque by local principalities such as the İnaloğulları, Nisanoğulları, and Artuklular.