Publication Date
Dhul-Qi'dah 806 / May-June 1404
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;10;ar
Library Location
Balat Market, Aydin, Türkiye
Date
Dhul-Qi'dah 806 / May-June 1404
Notes
The important Ionian city, known in antiquity as Miletus (Balatia), became part of the Menici Principality in the first half of the 9th / 13th century and was known as Balat. In the year 793 / 1391, the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I (famous by the nickname Yildirim - the Thunderbolt) annexed this emirate to Ottoman lands. After Timur defeated him at the Battle of Ankara in 805 / 1402, the Menici Principality was restored and Balat became its capital. The city of Balat, which was founded over ancient Miletus, saw the construction of many buildings during the Menici era, the most important of which was the mosque complex, which included a theological school and two public baths, all built immediately after Ilyasbey's restoration to the throne in 1402. The mosque and madrasa were built in a spacious walled garden, and shared a courtyard. In common. On the northwestern side of the school there are the ruins of a building whose exact function is not known. Archaeological excavations in 1994 showed that the basic structure of the school rooms dates back to another school that was later added to the complex, extending parallel to the garden wall to the west of the current school. It is agreed that the two baths located to the northeast of the madrasa are part of the original complex. The Al-Yasbai Mosque is located in an area of approximately 18 x 18 square metres, and is crowned by a dome with a diameter of 14 meters made of brick, while its walls are covered with reused tile panels. There is no hallway for latecomers. The minaret is located in the northwestern corner, and it was accessed from the inside. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1955. Entry to the mosque is through the Iwan door, located in the middle of the northern wall. The iwan is divided by marble columns into an arched corridor surmounted by three flat-topped arches (bursa); The large central arch is located at the entrance, while the two side arches each have marble railings and are used as windows. The dome of the building rests on huge corner niches decorated with designs of conch shells, triangles and stalactites. The Al-Yasbay Mosque deserves attention due to the rich decoration of its stone carvings. As for the floral and geometric shapes and carved and inlaid inscriptions, they appear on the entrance, the mihrab, and the triangular surfaces of all the windows of the eastern, western, and southern walls. This inlaid decoration includes colored tiles and stones. As for the school, which shares the courtyard with the mosque, it was built of rough stone. It consists of a large domed room and 12 classrooms for students. It is clear from the remaining remains that its ceilings were covered with wood. The two bathrooms are located to the northeast of the school and the mosque, and their walls were built of solid stone, while the domes and vaults were built of brick. The large bath, located to the north, consists of a hot room with three iwans, two corner rooms, and the changing room, which was discovered during excavations in 1991. The walls of the hot room are decorated with plaster moldings. The small hammam, located two meters away from the large hammam, consists of three small adjacent rooms. The complex is open to visitors.
Sample Text
Şakir Çakmak “Elyas Bey Complex” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;10;ar
