Musa Fakih Mosque

It was built in 1748 by a person named Musa Fakih who lived in Kastamonu. The mosque is currently under renovation. That made me quite happy. This type of renovations, which have been done very carefully without damaging the historical form, are now slowly surrounding Kastamonu. I hope it will go on until there isn't even a piece of work left unmodified.

Although the date of its construction is not known precisely because it does not have an epigraph, it is understood from the historical records that Musa Fakih, who was the founder of the mosque, was among the scholars of the period of Candaroğulları Principality, Kemalettin İsmail Bey. Accordingly, the mosque was built as of 1460 at the latest. There is a curved arch made of whole stone on the door, whose jugs are cut stone. The wooden door was made with carving technique. The part of the ceiling above the cellars has examples of tree decoration. The ceiling core decorated with pencil work is exquisite. The mihrab is decorated with plaster and geometric motifs. Besides other beauties of the mosque, its pulpit is a rare example of wooden decoration art. It is understood from the inscription on the upper part of the left door sill that this exquisite door decorated with vegetable motifs and inlaid with mother-of-pearl was made by Sucuzâde Mehmet Usta in 1211 Hijri year. The mosque's imamation and maintenance - repair services were carried out by a family called Zihnizâdeler until 1950. Therefore, the mosque is also known as Zihnizâde Mosque among the people.

A beautiful wooden historical mosque with spiritual atmosphere

Kastamonu: I don't know how to explain. Every step is history, every step is perfect mansions where different lives are lived and more. I guess every eye would tell it differently. Kastamonu is a cultural and historical heritage. It's a living city. Only one of them in this historical mosque. I say you need to go and feel that air, that atmosphere.

Musa Fakih, as his title suggests, is a fiqh scholar and a scholar of the Candaroğlus period. In the zawiyah located on the site of the Musa Fakih mosque, where his tomb is located; It is understood from the abundance of lands dedicated to his name that he was a Tekke Sheikh and had a great reputation. II. A benefactor named Hüseyin Bey donated a land in the Tavşanlı Village of Araba District to Muslihiddin Musa Fakih, who is mentioned as İftiharul fukaha (the elite of Fiqh scholars) in the Bayezid Period Foundation Tahrir Book, and Candaroğlu İsmail Bey renewed the foundation. The tomb of Musa Fakih is in the Musa Fakih Mosque burial ground on Gümüşlüce Street. It is understood from the signs that there are 12-13 graves in the burial ground, which is surrounded by the Ihata wall. From the city map of that time, where there was an architectural tomb here at the beginning of the 1900s; It is understood from some ruins that there are sarcophagi with relief motifs. It is known that the tomb, which is located in the corner on the qibla side and only the turban of the chief witness remains, belongs to Musa Fakih, the founder of the mosque. The only tomb in good condition belongs to Hacı Ali Efendi, who is described as the "Sertac-ı Etemm", that is, the head of the perfect and mature people and died in 1198/1783. Hacı Ali Efendi, who is understood to belong to the ilmiye class from the witness's turban. He is the person who had the mosque repaired in 1161/1748.

It is a work that was built during the period of the Principalities, during the Candaroğlu Principality, has undergone many restorations and has lost its originality, but its mass trace and texture have been preserved. Since it has an inviting side that arouses curiosity, you can spend a long time in its small graveyard.