Shusha Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque

Aygül Uçar; Vefa Kurban

Article Details

Shusha Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque

Authors:

Aygül Uçar | Vefa Kurban

Publisher:

Ege University

Main Topics:

Mimarlık Tarihi | Sanat Tarihi

Journal:

Sanat Tarihi Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.1001-1023

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001310274

pISSN:

1300-5707

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Shusha is an old Turkish city in Azerbaijan. In addition to its natural beauty, the city attracts attention for its Turkish-Islamic architecture. During the period of the Karabakh Khanate, many mosques, fountains, mausoleums, and baths were built in this city. Due to the Armenian occupation, most of the buildings in the city were destroyed, burned, or demolished. After the 44-day War between September 27, 2020, and November 10, 2020, ended with the victory of Azerbaijan, the city again became a part of Azerbaijan, and immediately after that, the restoration and preservation of the buildings in the city began. The Yukhari Govher Agha Upper Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha was among the first to be restored. One of the oldest and most remarkable buildings in Shusha, the Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque, is an important representative of Turkish-Islamic art in Azerbaijan. The mosque was rebuilt four times at the same place throughout history. The fourth representation, which is still standing today, is the mosque which Govher Agha had Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan built in 1883-1885. The building is located within a complex consisting of a madrasah and a burial area. Built on a basement floor, the mosque consists of a rectangular prayer hall in the direction of north to south, a three-unit narthex in the north, and two minarets rising from the walls in two corners of the narthex. The eastern and western sides of the building have two floors. The prayer hall is divided into 12 units of equal size; the middle two of these units are covered with a dome, and the other units are covered with a cross vault. The building, which bears the general characteristics of the buildings built by Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan, is especially important for the brick decorations that adorn its minarets. The Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque stands out with its minarets at the two corners of the northern façade. The columns of the minarets are decorated with compositions created by the Shusha artist Mir Mohsun Navvab. Diamond-shaped motifs dominate the geometric ornaments formed by shifting red, blue, and white rectangular bricks on a horizontal axis. In addition, parallel diagonal lines, zigzags, sun motifs, and the use of a writing belt are noteworthy. These ornaments are considered as extensions of the Great Seljuk tradition to the 19th century. The master of minaret decorations, similar to which can be seen in other mosques built by Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan in Shusha, is again Mir Mohsun Navvab. Accordingly, it is understood that these two masters worked together in the construction and decoration of the buildings in Karabakh. There are many inscriptions from different dates on the walls of the building. These inscriptions, which contain information about the various repairs of the mosque, were preserved and placed on the walls of the newly built structures. These inscriptions in Persian in the prayer hall are the Govhar Agha foundation. The Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque is an outstanding example of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan from Shusha, which survived the Armenian occupation even though it was badly damaged. The building is among the rare structures that will transmit the traces of the past to future generations. This paper aims to introduce the Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque in Shusha in terms of its plan and ornamental features and to determine the place of the building in Turkish-Islamic architecture.

 Shusha is an old Turkish city in Azerbaijan. In addition to its natural beauty, the city attracts attention for its Turkish-Islamic architecture. During the period of the Karabakh Khanate, many mosques, fountains, mausoleums, and baths were built in this city. Due to the Armenian occupation, most of the buildings in the city were destroyed, burned, or demolished. After the 44-day War between September 27, 2020, and November 10, 2020, ended with the victory of Azerbaijan, the city again became a part of Azerbaijan, and immediately after that, the restoration and preservation of the buildings in the city began. The Yukhari Govher Agha Upper Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha was among the first to be restored. One of the oldest and most remarkable buildings in Shusha, the Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque, is an important representative of Turkish-Islamic art in Azerbaijan. The mosque was rebuilt four times at the same place throughout history. The fourth representation, which is still standing today, is the mosque which Govher Agha had Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan built in 1883-1885. The building is located within a complex consisting of a madrasah and a burial area. Built on a basement floor, the mosque consists of a rectangular prayer hall in the direction of north to south, a three-unit narthex in the north, and two minarets rising from the walls in two corners of the narthex. The eastern and western sides of the building have two floors. The prayer hall is divided into 12 units of equal size; the middle two of these units are covered with a dome, and the other units are covered with a cross vault. The building, which bears the general characteristics of the buildings built by Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan, is especially important for the brick decorations that adorn its minarets. The Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque stands out with its minarets at the two corners of the northern façade. The columns of the minarets are decorated with compositions created by the Shusha artist Mir Mohsun Navvab. Diamond-shaped motifs dominate the geometric ornaments formed by shifting red, blue, and white rectangular bricks on a horizontal axis. In addition, parallel diagonal lines, zigzags, sun motifs, and the use of a writing belt are noteworthy. These ornaments are considered as extensions of the Great Seljuk tradition to the 19th century. The master of minaret decorations, similar to which can be seen in other mosques built by Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan in Shusha, is again Mir Mohsun Navvab. Accordingly, it is understood that these two masters worked together in the construction and decoration of the buildings in Karabakh. There are many inscriptions from different dates on the walls of the building. These inscriptions, which contain information about the various repairs of the mosque, were preserved and placed on the walls of the newly built structures. These inscriptions in Persian in the prayer hall are the Govhar Agha foundation. The Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque is an outstanding example of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan from Shusha, which survived the Armenian occupation even though it was badly damaged. The building is among the rare structures that will transmit the traces of the past to future generations. This paper aims to introduce the Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque in Shusha in terms of its plan and ornamental features and to determine the place of the building in Turkish-Islamic architecture.

 Shusha is an old Turkish city in Azerbaijan. In addition to its natural beauty, the city attracts attention for its Turkish-Islamic architecture. During the period of the Karabakh Khanate, many mosques, fountains, mausoleums, and baths were built in this city. Due to the Armenian occupation, most of the buildings in the city were destroyed, burned, or demolished. After the 44-day War between September 27, 2020, and November 10, 2020, ended with the victory of Azerbaijan, the city again became a part of Azerbaijan, and immediately after that, the restoration and preservation of the buildings in the city began. The Yukhari Govher Agha Upper Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha was among the first to be restored. One of the oldest and most remarkable buildings in Shusha, the Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque, is an important representative of Turkish-Islamic art in Azerbaijan. The mosque was rebuilt four times at the same place throughout history. The fourth representation, which is still standing today, is the mosque which Govher Agha had Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan built in 1883-1885. The building is located within a complex consisting of a madrasah and a burial area. Built on a basement floor, the mosque consists of a rectangular prayer hall in the direction of north to south, a three-unit narthex in the north, and two minarets rising from the walls in two corners of the narthex. The eastern and western sides of the building have two floors. The prayer hall is divided into 12 units of equal size; the middle two of these units are covered with a dome, and the other units are covered with a cross vault. The building, which bears the general characteristics of the buildings built by Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan, is especially important for the brick decorations that adorn its minarets. The Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque stands out with its minarets at the two corners of the northern façade. The columns of the minarets are decorated with compositions created by the Shusha artist Mir Mohsun Navvab. Diamond-shaped motifs dominate the geometric ornaments formed by shifting red, blue, and white rectangular bricks on a horizontal axis. In addition, parallel diagonal lines, zigzags, sun motifs, and the use of a writing belt are noteworthy. These ornaments are considered as extensions of the Great Seljuk tradition to the 19th century. The master of minaret decorations, similar to which can be seen in other mosques built by Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan in Shusha, is again Mir Mohsun Navvab. Accordingly, it is understood that these two masters worked together in the construction and decoration of the buildings in Karabakh. There are many inscriptions from different dates on the walls of the building. These inscriptions, which contain information about the various repairs of the mosque, were preserved and placed on the walls of the newly built structures. These inscriptions in Persian in the prayer hall are the Govhar Agha foundation. The Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque is an outstanding example of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan from Shusha, which survived the Armenian occupation even though it was badly damaged. The building is among the rare structures that will transmit the traces of the past to future generations. This paper aims to introduce the Yukhari Govher Agha Mosque in Shusha in terms of its plan and ornamental features and to determine the place of the building in Turkish-Islamic architecture.

 Eski bir Türk kenti olan Şuşa Azerbaycanın önemli kentlerinden biridir. Kent doğal güzellikleri yanında günümüze ulaştırdığı Türk-İslam özellikli mimari eserlerle de dikkati çekmektedir. Kentte, Karabağ Hanlığı Döneminde çok sayıda cami, çeşme, türbe, hamam gibi farklı türde yapı inşa edilmiştir. Ermeni işgali nedeniyle bu yapıların büyük bir kısmı tahrip edilmiş, yakılmış ve yıkılmıştır. 27 Eylül 2020-10 Kasım 2020 tarihleri arasında 44 gün süren savaşın Azerbaycan zaferiyle sonuçlanmasıyla kent yeniden Azerbaycanın bir parçası haline gelince kentteki yapıların restorasyon ve korunması çalışmalarına başlanmıştır. Şuşa Yukarı Gövher Ağa Camii de restorasyon çalışmalarında ilk sırayı almıştır. Şuşadaki en eski ve en dikkat çekici yapı olan Yukarı Gövher Ağa Camii, Türk-İslam sanatının Azerbaycandaki önemli temsilcilerinden biridir. Cami çeşitli zamanlarda aynı yerde dört kez yeniden inşa edilmiştir. Dördüncü yapı, günümüzde de varlığını sürdüren 1883-85 tarihli cami olup Gövher Ağa tarafından Kerbelâyi Sefi Hana inşa ettirilmiştir. Yapı bir medrese ile bir hazireden oluşan külliye içinde yer almaktadır. Bir bodrum kat üzerine inşa edilen cami, kuzey-güney yönünde dikdörtgen planlı bir harim, kuzeyinde üç birimli bir son cemaat yeri ve son cemaat yerinin iki köşesinde son cemaat yerinin beden duvarları üzerinde yükselen iki minareden oluşmaktadır. Yapının doğu ve batı cepheleri iki katlı düzenlenmiştir. Harimin üzeri eş büyüklükte 12 birime ayrılmış, bu birimlerden ortada kalan ikisi birer kubbe, diğer birimleri ise haç tonozla örtülmüştür. Kerbelâyi Sefi Hanın inşa ettiği yapıların genel karakterinin izlendiği yapı özellikle minarelerini bezeyen tuğla süslemeleriyle de önemlidir. Bu makalede, Şuşadaki Yukarı Gövher Ağa Camiinin plan ve süsleme özellikleri açısından tanıtılması, yapının Türk-İslam mimarisi içindeki yerinin saptanması hedeflenmektedir.

Article Details

Shusha Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque

Authors:

Aygül Uçar | Vefa Kurban

Publisher:

Ege University

Main Topics:

Mimarlık Tarihi | Sanat Tarihi

Journal:

Sanat Tarihi Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.1001-1023

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001310274

pISSN:

1300-5707

Azerbaijan

Kerbelâyi Sefi Khan

Shusha

Yukhari Govher Agha MosqueAzerbaycan

Şuşa

Yukarı Gövher Ağa Camii

Kerbelâyi Sefi Han

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Aygül Uçar | Vefa Kurban

Publisher: Ege University

Main Topics: Mimarlık Tarihi | Sanat Tarihi

Journal: Sanat Tarihi Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.1001-1023

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001310274

pISSN: 1300-5707

Issues

Authors:

Aygül Uçar | Vefa Kurban

Publisher:

Ege University

Main Topics:

Mimarlık Tarihi | Sanat Tarihi

Journal:

Sanat Tarihi Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.1001-1023

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001310274

pISSN:

1300-5707