THE Yenice Mustafa Pasha Mosque THE TOMB OF POSPOS THE Kütüklü Baba Lodge Xanthi Turkish Minority | Western |

The Mustafa Pasha Mos- It is a magnificent que in Xanthi is a his- historic building torical artefact which located inside a succeeded to survive till farm in the Kere- today. The mosque in viz (Selino) villa- the village of Yenice, ge, in Yenice. This Xanthi, which restored fascinating lodge in 1873 when ruined in includes two sec- One of the most important his- Historical and fire, is in a heart-rending tions with two torical and architectural monu- situation with its lonely domes. The architectural structure of the lodge is an ments of the Architectural minaret which is used to example of the 16th century Turkish-Islamic architec- in today’s Greece is the tombs. be a home for birds. ture. A 500 meter away from the Kereviz village in From these tombs, the Tomb of Monuments the west, the lodge has a hexagonal structure with The mosque, which is Pospos is located in Komotini. 12 meters height in a 30 square meters area. Under not allowed to be res- the main dome, there is the tored for years, lies in place, where a holy man is ruins today. Therefore believed to be buried. its interior design is in a critical situation and it The marble of the lodge is is no longer in use. The broken and dashed into pie- poster and flags of the ces. Today, the lodge is being petrol station next to the repaired and restored. mosque is placed on the walls of the mosque. THE KAYALI MOSQUE Like many other Ottoman monuments in Greece, it Komotini. The Kayali Mos- has been neglected, and left to be ruined. que and Madrasah in Ko- motini were constructed in the 18th century by Haci Zekeriya Efendi, a madra-

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Ευρωπαϊκή Ομοσπονδία Τούρκων Δυτικής Θράκης • 1988 •

Wemerstraße 2 · 58454 Witten / Germany ABTTF Tel.: +49 2302 91 32 91 · Fax: +49 2302 91 32 93 Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe E-Mail: [email protected] www.abttf.org NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN)

Photos: I. Cambaz, A. Banca, R. Molla Isa, R. Kirlidökme, I. Tahsin ABTTF | Monuments-Folder for more information: www.abttf.org THE OLD MOSQUE The Bridge of Hamidiye THE IMARET OF GAZI The Xanthi Clock Tower Komotini Xanthi Komotini Xanthi

The Old Mosque in Komotini, which is located directly The Hamidiye Bridge is located at the three kilome- The imarets were charity The Xanthi Clock Tower in the main square of the city in the city center, was constructed in 1608 according to tres on the wayside of Xanthi-Stavrupolis way above places established to serve with its noble presence is a great historic building in- the first architectural style of the Ottoman Empire and Samakov stream. The bridge with white hewn stones free food to the poor, mad- herited from the Ottoman Empire. This historical clock renovated in 1854. It has a tomb covered with red tiles, was built in 1901. With four pedestals and three arcs, rasah students and to others tower was built in 1870 by Hacı (Hadji) Emin Aga. The and a minaret with two balconies. The indoor deco- the bridge has a 10 or 11 meters height and 5 meters at the Ottoman Empire. height of the clock tower is between 14 and 16 meters, rations, which were destroyed during the Balkan War width. According to Busbeca, these were big buildings, of and the clock is still working. This historical monu- in 1912, were re-con- which doors were open to all; ment, which satisfies the need of society and stresses structed in 2002 with no matter they were Muslim, the importance of time, is a valuable artifact that sym- ceramic from Kutahya, Christian or Jewish. The Imaret bolized the existence of Turkish-Islamic art in Xanthi. . of Gazi Evrenos Bey in Komo- tini was founded by Gazi Ev- Although the rest of 1915 today renos Bey, who was one of the the historical public most successful Ottoman com- fountain on the right manders. He acquired a consi- side of the mosque is derable amount of wealth and still existent, instead of founded numerous endow- preserving it in its origi- ments, among these this imaret nal state by restoring, a in Komotini. Today, the Imaret complete new one was of Gazi Evrenos Bey has been constructed. Today, it turned into church muse- stands completely hid- However, today the bridge has only two arcs and a um. den behind the new concrete block built in place of the third arc. And public fountain. there used to be a crescent and star marble on the The Ottoman inscrip- middle arc of the bridge. However, the crescent and tion on the front wall star at the pedestals of the Hamidiye Bridge is dig and of the imaret does not THE MOSQUE OF YUNUS BEY filled up with plaster in various times by some racist exist any more. Now, Komotini. The Mosque of Yunus Bey, of which const- groups. there is a Hellenistic sculp- ruction date and sponsor is not known, is located on ture head on the same place. the Posti-Pos (Pos-Pos) street in Komotini, and except its outer walls, totally destroyed today. The Municipality of Xanthi decided to destroy this THE MOSQUE OF SELVILI historical monument in 1972, because it represented the Turkish art and civilization. Thanks to the sensiti- Komotini. ve reaction of the Turkish Minority, the Governor of The Mosque of Selvili, Xanthi intervened in and the destruction of the mo- which is one of the Ot- nument was postponed. However, its marble sign in toman monuments in Arabic letters, crescent and star on the tower were Komotini, is totally des- broken and dashed into pieces. The mosque next to troyed today. What left the clock tower was pulled down and removed by the over are its ruined mi- local administration. Today, the clock tower still stand naret and an old grave. as the central square of Xanthi Prefecture and attracts many visitors.

ABTTF | Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe ABTTF | Monuments-Folder for more information: www.abttf.org Historical and Architectural Monuments in Western Thrace