05.02.2006
Ahrian Mosque, Xanthi

Georgios Tsigaras
Source: C.E.T.I.
© Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace

Location: The mosque is located in the Old Town of Xanthi, in the quarter currently known as Akropolis or Ahrian Mahalesi (Ahrian Mahalle).

The Monument: The single-domed mosque is a stone, timber-framed building. The minaret stands on the southwest corner of the building; the balcony lies on two spiral platforms, supported by castellated wooden horizontal beams, or fourousia. The mosque consists of the original building and its subsequent additions.
The interior of the mosque is simple. The interesting mihrab was formerly decorated with simple baroque-style patterns. At present, the part of the mosque that is orientated towards Mecca (qibla) is panelled with modern-style oriental tiles. The minbar (pulpit) is located in the northwestern corner of mosque’s interior and decorated with geometrical and neoclassical-style patterns.
It is likely that Evligia Tselembi referred to this mosque, while he was on tour at the area in the late 17th century, when he wrote that a parochial school operated in the mosque. A cemetery is situated in the northwestern side of the mosque, where 28 graves survive today. 16 of these graves bear funerary slates dating from 1580 to 1896. The early graves dating from the late 16th century provide evidence on the date of the foundation of the mosque.
Βιβλιογραφία: Ι. ΣΠΑΘΑΡΗΣ, Η Δυτική Θράκη κατά τον Εβλιγιά Τζελεμπήν, περιηγητήν του ΧVII αιώνα, Θρακικά 5 (1934)• E. H. AYVERDI, Avrupa’da Osmanli mimarî eserleri, 6, İstanbul 1982. N. ÇAM, Yunanistan’daki Türk eserleri, Turkish Monuments in Grecce, Ankara 2000• E. ΣΕΡΗΦ – Γ. ΣΕΡΗΦ ΔΑΜΑΝΤΟΓΛΟΥ, Αχριάν Τζαμί Ξάνθης, στο: Θρησκευτικά Μνημεία στο Νομό Ξάνθης, επιμέλεια: Γεώργιος Χρ. Τσιγάρας, Ξάνθη 2005.


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