Taşkınpaşa Complex

"This town is the absolute prettiest, most amazing town there is in all of Cappadocia. We were just walking the streets and invited into someone’s home for dinner. It was fantastic.

You must see this place. It is the true Turkey. As authentic as it gets. Incredible.

The church is beautiful too, but the town is something else."

Drew

"It was built by Taşkın Pasha, one of the Karamanid emirs, in the mid-14th century. The mosque, whose exact date is unknown due to the inscription on the mosque's portal being missing, is believed to have been built in the mid-14th century based on two mausoleum inscriptions found in its courtyard, dating it from 1342 to 1355. The mosque, which embodies the distinctive characteristics of Karamanid art, is today used for worship in its original form.

The mosque, dome, and tomb are located within a courtyard wall. Constructed of cut stone, the mosque has a rectangular, almost square, plan. The original wooden mihrab and pulpit of the three-nave mosque are preserved in the Ankara Ethnography Museum. The mihrab, made of walnut inlay, is significant as it is the only surviving example of a wooden mihrab.

TOMB-TOMB

The benefactor of the tomb located to the east of the mosque is unknown, but it is suggested that it may have been Taşkın Pasha. The two-story tomb, constructed of cut stone, has a dome surmounted by an octagonal drum on the interior and a pyramidal spire on the exterior.

The Hızır Bey Tomb is located to the northeast of the mosque. While the tomb has no inscription, it is believed to have been built between 1350 and 1355, based on the dates found on the sarcophagi within. The hexagonal structure, situated on the seating area, is an open tomb constructed by connecting six pillars with pointed arches. Inside the tomb are three marble sarcophagi. These sarcophagi are believed to have belonged to Emir Hızır Bey, his son İlyas Bey, and his grandson Hasan Bey.

All of these structures, which embody the distinctive characteristics of Karamanid art, have survived to the present day. The madrasah, which took its current form after a recent restoration, is still used as a library, while the mosque is still used for worship.

Who was Taşkın (Taşhun) Pasha?

Taşkın Pasha, a Karamanli emir, built a madrasah, a mosque, and a tomb in the village of Taşkınpaşa (Damsa) in Ürgüp in the mid-14th century and allocated some foundation revenues to these works.

Taşkın Pasha was one of Rukneddin Kılıçarslan IV's commanders and played a significant role in the Turkification of Ürgüp and the surrounding area. He gave his name to the village of Taşkınpaşa, formerly known as Damsa. The village's name appears as Tamisa in records from 912 and as Damsa in records from 1926.

Following the Mongol invasion in Kayseri, places bearing the names of Oghuz tribes proliferated, such as Yazor, Kozok, Kınık, Salur, and Kayı. In the early 14th century, a Uyghur family settled in Kayseri and founded the Tac-ı Kızıl neighborhood. It is believed that the neighborhood's founder, the famous commander Esen Kutluğ, died in Kayseri.

In the period following Abu Said Bahadır Khan, the Uyghurs became a settled ethnic group in Anatolia. The Eretna principality in Sivas, which they founded in 1342, can be considered a second Uyghur state established by the Uyghurs, apart from Ötüken.

The foundation records indicate that Taşkın (Taşhun) Pasha, son of Zahireddin Mahmud Esen Kutlug, and his family lived in Damsa, now known as "Taşkın Pasha/Taşhun Pasha Village," in the Ürgüp district of Nevşehir. The artifacts they left behind indicate that the Pasha's own tomb is located in the garden of the social complex, which includes a mosque, madrasah, fountain, and cemetery. There is a bill of sale dated Dhul-Hijjah 751/January-February 1350, indicating that Taşkın Pasha, son of Emir Zahireddin Mahmud, purchased the village of Gumartaş in Konya."

Abdurrahim Vural

"The Tomb and Mosque complex, where my ancestors migrated to Mersin, and the tomb of Taşkınpaşa, its founder, are located. When we asked Uncle Mevlüt Erkal, one of the villagers, where Taşkınpaşa's tomb was, he said, "I was going to pray, but I'll show you around." Thankfully, he hopped in our car and spent half an hour with us. He's been researching Taşkınpaşa's family history for years but hasn't been able to find anything. I've heard it's in the state archives in Konya, but he says he can't find any information. Each of the column capitals inside the mosque is a different, spolia, clearly belonging to ancient civilizations. The mosque's architecture reminded me of church architecture, a somber structure with sharp curves. I haven't found any information suggesting that the mosque was converted from a church. Given the geography of monasteries and churches, it wouldn't be surprising if it was. Fairy chimneys surround the village and mosque. I'm happy to have been able to visit this ancestral homeland."

Mustafa Taşkın