DEBAR FATIH SULTAN MEHMED (HUNKAR) MOSQUE

Abstract

The city of Debar, a part of the province of Manastir during the Ottoman period, remained under the Ottoman rule until the beginning of the 20th century. The city has played an important role in the conquests of the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe and Balkans. For this reason, as in all other Balkan settlements, the Ottoman Empire prioritized the construction and development activities in the city of Debar and directed the bazaars around the mosques for the physical growth of the city. This building, also known as the Hunkar Mosque, was built in 1467 by Fatih Sultan Mehmed Khan. The mosque is located in the city centre of Debar. Hunkar Mosque is the only still standing monumental building from the thirteen mosques built in the Ottoman period. It is located in a great hazire that is burial area reserved for special people especially inside mosques or Sufi lodges. There is also a tomb building in the hazire. Nowadays, the building which is still functioning as a mosque is registered as a historical monument by the Macedonian Board of Monuments. There is no monographic research on the architectural structure of the building up to now. In this research, the architectural characteristics of the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Mosque are examined in detail. It is thought that the findings of the research will contribute to the restoration phase of the building.