THE EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED SAM VILLAGE MOSQUE IS BEING REVIVED
Sam Village Mosque is located in parcel no. 283, block 7786, in Sam District of Şehitkamil, Gaziantep. The village in which the mosque stands was situated at the first 10-kilometer stop along the caravan route extending westward from Antep in earlier centuries.
Due to the absence of a dedicated inscription, there is no definitive information about the mosque’s construction date or its patron. The inscription currently located above the minaret entrance on the mosque’s eastern façade is not originally part of the building. It is a relocated gravestone dating to 1221 Hijri (1806/1807 CE). The earliest known document referencing the mosque is a foundation charter (vakfiye) from 928 Hijri (1521/1522 CE), in which it is referred to as “Sam Village Mosque.” Based on this document, it is assumed that the mosque was constructed in the late 15th or early 16th century.
The mosque is located within a spacious courtyard that also contains a fountain and restroom facilities. Entry to the courtyard is through a triangular pedimented gate, with a projecting base and a top aligned flush with the adjacent wall. The mosque’s plan is symmetrical along the mihrab axis, and its walls were constructed using the masonry technique with cut stone blocks. It is believed that the mosque originally had a flat roof. Today, it features a hipped roof covered with traditional Turkish tiles (alaturka kiremit).
The minaret, located on the western façade, is also constructed using the cut stone masonry technique. The shaft of the minaret is round and built from dressed stone, while the spire is capped with a stone cone and topped by a copper finial (alem).
The mosque comprises an entrance, a prayer hall (harim), a portico (son cemaat yeri), and a minaret. The ceiling of the prayer hall is covered with cross vaults. Inside the harim, the mihrab is decorated with palmette and rumi motifs. Flanking the mihrab are a stone-console supported wooden minbar and a pulpit for sermons (vaaz kürsüsü), both with wooden balustrades.
It is known that the Sam Village Mosque underwent restorations in 1964 and 1991. The structure sustained damage during the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023.
As ALBA İNŞAAT, our restoration efforts, initiated in 2023, are currently ongoing.