Turkish archaeologists have found the remains of a mosque believed to have been built in the Abbasid era in the ancient city of Anwarza in the Kozan region of Adana province (south), Turkey.
Archaeological excavations continue in the ancient city, historically known as the “Invincible City,” which is included on UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage List.
The archaeological excavations are being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Fatih Erhan, a faculty member in the Department of Archaeology at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, with the participation of a team of 200 researchers and archaeologists.
In the city of Anwarza, known in Arabic as “Ain Zarba” and in Greek as “Anazarbus”, many important historical discoveries were made during the current season, the most prominent of which are the remains of a mosque believed to have been built in the Abbasid era.
Architectural and archaeological remains believed to belong to the mosque were found on a hill in the centre of the ancient city of Ain Zerba (Anwarza), which is famous for containing the first dual carriageway in the world.
Work is underway to uncover more discoveries that may shed light on this mosque, which is believed to have been built during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid, and its exact location has not been previously determined.
Remains of a mosque from the Abbasid era
Head of the archaeological and excavation team, Dr. Fatih Erhan, said that Anvarza is one of the largest archaeological cities in Türkiye.
Arhan added to the Anadolu Agency correspondent that the ongoing archaeological excavations in the old city began in 2013, and that the excavation and digging work is still ongoing in the current season with the participation of 200 researchers and archaeologists.
Arhan confirmed that the archaeological excavations discovered in the old city center are located in an area of about 80-120 meters, and date back to a mosque.
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The first mosque of Anatolia is coming to light in the ‘Invincible City’.🕌
We are happy to reach the architectural ruins of the great Abbasid mosque built by Caliph Harun Rashid in the Ancient City of Anavarza.👏
This unique finding reveals deep traces in our history… pic.twitter.com/kZ43RJlc1B
— Mehmet Nuri Ersoy (@MehmetNuriErsoy) August 2, 2024
Arhan added that Islamic and Byzantine sources indicate the existence of a large mosque built by Caliph Harun al-Rashid between 796-797 AD, and that the city was surrounded by walls during the same period. The sources also mention that the mosque was large, and was destroyed and burned in 962 AD after witnessing a horrific massacre carried out by the Byzantine commander Nikephoros Phokas.
The first mosque in Anatolia
Arhan pointed out the existence of archaeological remains related to the massacre carried out by Nikephoros Phokas, which was mentioned in both Byzantine and Islamic sources.
“We believe that the existing archaeological and architectural remains date back to the great Abbasid mosque that existed in the area. Through the excavations, we clearly see traces dating back to 962 AD when Nikephoros Phokas and his brother Lucas Phokas burned the city in the name of the Byzantine Empire,” he added.
“We know that the Turkish presence in Anatolia began to become more evident after 1071, but these discoveries show at the same time that the actual presence of Muslims and Turks in the region began long before that, 200 years before that date. Another important point is that in 638 a mosque was built in Antioch, but it became part of the traditional Arab area behind the Amanus Mountains, and thus this mosque in Anwarza is considered the first mosque built in Anatolia and the current Turkish lands,” he continued.
Arhan pointed out that during the excavation, they discovered layers of bricks, a thick layer of ash, and bones believed to belong to children, women, and adult men, in addition to Abbasid ceramics.
The head of the archaeological excavation team confirmed that they had roughly determined the design of the mosque based on the available data they had obtained through the survey they had conducted on the surface of the earth.
It resembles the Umayyad Mosque.
Arhan added that some of the walls found belonged to a bathhouse and other buildings that were used for multiple purposes and were part of the mosque’s annexes.
Arhan explained that the design of the mosque is similar to the design of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, which is usually rectangular in shape and faces south and the Qiblah, and contains a space designated for worship, closed from the south and north and decorated with arcades.
Arhan concluded that the archaeological excavation efforts are still ongoing, and that the team is about to conduct anthropological studies on the discovered bones in the coming days, and conduct studies to determine the locations of the mihrab, pulpit, and side facilities in the place designated for worship, and then begin the restoration process as soon as possible.
