İsa Bey Mosque
On Gingerguide's self-guided Ephesus audio tour, İsa Bey Mosque is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Ephesus Ephesus guide
About İsa Bey Mosque
A 1374 mosque built for the Aydinid beylik from stones scavenged in ancient Ephesus, its twin-domed prayer hall echoing the Great Mosque of Damascus far to the south.
The İsa Bey Mosque was built in 1374-75 for Isa Bey, ruler of the Aydinid beylik, and is one of the oldest and most important surviving works of architecture from the Anatolian beyliks period. Its architect was Ali, son of Mushaimish, from Damascus, and the design shows the influence of the Great Mosque of Damascus. The building measures about 48 by 56 metres, and its prayer hall is covered by two domes roughly 9.4 and 8.4 metres across.
The rims of the domes were decorated with İznik tiles, and the west wall carries marble panels with inscriptions and geometric patterns. Many of the mosque's columns and building stones are spolia, materials taken from the nearby ruins of ancient Ephesus. After falling into disrepair, the building was used for a time as a caravanserai in the nineteenth century. It stands on the slope below Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk.
Did you know? Many of the mosque's columns and stones are spolia lifted straight from the ruins of ancient Ephesus, so a fourteenth-century Islamic building is partly assembled from a classical Greek and Roman city.
How much time do you need at İsa Bey Mosque?
Around ~45 min works well for İsa Bey Mosque — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at İsa Bey Mosque?
Yes — İsa Bey Mosque made the cut as one of 18 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Ephesus. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Ephesus
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about İsa Bey Mosque and read more:
Day 2 of the Ephesus in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of İsa Bey Mosque
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