Divriği Haberleri - Son Dakika Divriği Haber Güncel Gelişmeler

The stone road awaits adventure enthusiasts

In Erzincan, the Stone Road between Kemaliye and Divriği, which is considered one of the world's most challenging routes and took 132 years to complete, attracts adventure enthusiasts looking to explore on foot or by vehicle with its numerous tunnels, bends, and steep cliffs. The construction of the Stone Road began in 1870 with the aim of connecting Erzincan's Kemaliye (Eğin) district to the Central Anatolia region. The road, which initially started as a narrow path, was carved through the impassable rocks of the Dark Canyon with primitive tools by the local people, resembling the proverbial needle and thread. With the support of the state, the road was completed in 2002 after 132 years of labor. Originally narrow and passable only on foot, the Stone Road was later expanded for vehicle traffic, connecting Kemaliye to Divriği. The 7-kilometer-long road, offering breathtaking views along the Dark Canyon with its rugged cliffs reaching 400-500 meters at some points, is now utilized more for tourism than transportation, featuring 38 tunnels of various sizes, sharp bends, and cliffs. Stretching from Kemaliye to Divriği along the banks of the Euphrates River, the road, favored by those seeking adventure by vehicle, continues to enchant its visitors with its natural beauty despite the perilous journey it presents, both on foot and by vehicle. More Dangerous Than the Guoliang Tunnel The road, known as the Stone Road, which is introduced as the "world's most dangerous road" by the website "www.dangerousroads.org," dedicated to presenting hazardous and challenging roads worldwide, is noted to be occasionally more treacherous than the internationally renowned "Guoliang Tunnel" in China. International Erzincan Kemaliye Cultural and Nature Sports Festival in Kemaliye offers a warm welcome to those who seek adventure through a challenging journey on foot or by vehicle along the Stone Road, which has been designated as a dangerously thrilling route. In addition to the Stone Road, thrill-seekers can also enjoy "Base Jump" and "Wingsuit" jumps in the Dark Canyon. Every year, the district and the Stone Road, with its unique features, host a considerable number of adrenaline enthusiasts, both local and foreign tourists, offering unforgettable beauty and thrilling adventures to adventure enthusiasts.

Restoration of Divriği's Great Mosque and Hospital is almost finished

According to a statement from the governorship, Şimşek, after attending the 'Alternative Tourism Meetings' workshop held in Divriği district, inspected the ongoing restoration of the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, the first work protected by UNESCO in Turkey, and received information from the authorities. In the statement, Şimşek, expressing his views, stated that efforts are underway to highlight the tourism potential of Divriği. He said, 'We organized a workshop under the name of Alternative Tourism Meetings. Both the administrators of Divriği and the local administrators of Arapgir and Kemaliye participated in this workshop.' Providing information about the ongoing restoration of the mosque and hospital, Şimşek stated: "Indeed, our Divriği district is a complete city of history and culture. We can see many historical and natural beauties here. At the forefront of these historical and cultural works is the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği. It is a pleasure to see that the restoration works here have reached the final stage. The works inside the mosque are almost completed. Only the works inside the hospital continue. Also, landscaping works will be carried out. Hopefully, we will open the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği to visitors in April or May. Our goal is to revive the tourism potential of the region with such restorations, ensuring that our region gets a larger share from the tourism pie in terms of alternative tourism."

Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği

Known as the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital, this building complex is a complex consisting of a mosque, hospital and tomb. It was built during the Mengücek Principality of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire. The Great Mosque was built by Ahmet Shah, the son of Süleyman Shah; The hospital was built by his wife, Melike Turan Melek. The Chief Architect of the building complex, which was started in 1228 and completed in 1243, is Ahlatlı Hürrem Shah, son of Mughis. The magnificent motifs, which reflect the rarest and finest examples of stonework, created by the masters of Ahlat and Tbilisi, found in many parts of the complex, especially on the doors and columns, attract the attention and interest of the whole world. Another feature that makes this work different and unique is that none of the tens of thousands of motifs in the decorations, which are thought to be symmetrical when viewed from afar, but which are essentially asymmetrical, never repeat themselves; It is the revealing of the different beings in the universe in a magnificent harmony and balance by engraving on stone. This masterpiece of Islamic architecture, which was included in the "World Heritage List” by UNESCO in 1985, is also under the protection of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey. Sivas Divriği Great Mosque Great Mosque is a rectangular planned structure in the north-south direction and was built entirely with cut stones. There are three separate monumental gates in the north, west and east directions that provide entrance and exit to the mosque. The interior is divided into twenty-five units of different widths with double-sided pointed arches connecting the octagonal pillars. The interior of the mosque contains simplicity compared to the gates, so that the attention of the worshipers is not distracted and the awe and peace in worship is not disturbed. There is a spear and a torch motif painted with iron oxide paint on the left side of the back of the gate of Paradise. The spear represents power and the torch represents knowledge. In the northwest corner of the mosque, there is a minaret with a cylindrical body and a single balcony. The inscription states that the minaret was built in 1565 by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. It is also known that the interior of the mosque was repaired at this date. West Gate In addition to its names such as Çarşı Gate, Exit Gate, and Shadowy Gate, the name of this gate, which has been widely used recently, is "Textile Gate". The gate, where fine stonework reaches its peak, is named because it resembles a rug or prayer rug and exhibits a high rate of lace samples. The most striking element on the gate is the protruding keystone. Its surface is embossed with a pot head motif symbolizing blacksmiths. The chief architect used the keystone method, which is the way the stones interlock and hold, throughout this work. Between May and September, 45 minutes before the afternoon prayer, a shadow in the form of a human silhouette forms at the West Gate. This silhouette takes the form of a shadow of a person reciting the Qur'an first, and standing on his feet by tying his hands when the prayer time approaches. It is stated by experts that these silhouettes on this door as well as on other doors are not a coincidence, that they can be made with a very comprehensive knowledge of physics and very fine calculations, and that the mystery of these light and shadow plays is still not fully resolved. Heaven Gate The name given to this gate as the gate of heaven is due to the fact that all the motifs on it describe heaven. The descriptions of the unique blessings of heaven in the verses describing paradise in the Qur'an are engraved on stone here. The whole door is likened to a garden of heaven, and heaven and its layers are explained. Shah Gate This gate, located in the eastern part of the mosque, has a modest appearance made in the classical Seljuk style. It is the gate used by the shah to enter the mosque for worship, opening to the part of the mosque whose skeleton remains. The purpose of making the gate smaller than human height is to reveal the consciousness of humility and servitude in people and to emphasize that the Shah will bow down only in the presence of Allah. The sultan's gates and sultan's chambers were not built to isolate the sultan or lords from the community, but to protect them against possible assassinations and attacks. Hospital The Divriği Hospital is one of the oldest and most important hospitals in Anatolia. The hospital was also used as a madrasah where positive and religious sciences were taught during the Ottoman period. Hospital “Crown” Gate The entrance gate of the Hospital, which has a magnificent structure, is called the "Crown Gate". Pentagonal and octagonal star motifs symbolizing the Seljuks were used on the inner pediment of the door. The stars and crescents on the door are exactly the same as the crescent and star on the Turkish Flag. Hospital Interior The interior of the hospital, which was planned in the form of a general hospital, was used to treat mental and nervous patients. The recitation of the Holy Quran, the performance of Sufi music, the sounds that the water makes as it flows into and out of the pool in the middle, are some of the methods used in the treatment of mental and nervous patients. The ceiling of the great iwan is an example of a vault that was built with a spiral keystone system and the mystery of which has not been solved today. To a point where no one can easily notice the name of the chief architect in the hospital; He simply engraved it on the head of the eastern arch bearing the great iwan vault and prayed for his work to see the apocalypse. Tomb In the room to the left of the large iwan are the graves of Ahmet Shah, his wife Turan Melek and his family. There is a motif loaded with mystical symbols on the door of the tomb. When viewed as a whole, the motif is a scale on which hearts are weighed. The message to be conveyed here is: “We have passed away from this world, and you will pass away as well. This world is a test place and the place where you will see the reward is the hereafter. Prepare yourself for that day. There is a scale on which your deeds will be weighed; While a person is in the world, he commits one of the choices such as good or evil, right or wrong, merit or sin. While doing these things, a person should not be afraid of dying if he keeps the scales in balance and his heart is turned towards Allah.” Pulpit The pulpit, made of ebony wood, which is the longest-lived tree in the world, is as old as the mosque and still preserves its originality and is used today. It is one of the masterpieces of the kündekari technique among the minbars built during the Anatolian Seljuk State. This pulpit is one of the important works in which the four styles used in woodworking come together. Mihrab The large stone mihrab is a unique work with its form and decoration reminiscent of a castle gate or a palace gate. The hearts that are close to Allah are filled with the light of Allah, and the hearts that are far away are embroidered empty, which is a form of expression that symbolizes the relationship between a person and Allah. There are four small windows in the dome located above the area in front of the mihrab. Three of these are ingenious star-shaped small windows that bring the first rays of the day in in the form of morning stars at dawn.

Divrigi Ulu Mosque will be opened to worship in 2024

The restoration works that lasted for 8 years at the Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital, the first monument protected by UNESCO in Turkey, have been completed 70 percent of the time. The Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital, which was built by the son of Mengücek shah Süleyman Shah, Ahmet Shah and his wife Melike Turan Hanım, during the Mengücekli principality of the Seljuks in 1228 in the Divrigi district of Sivas, is unique in the world. Also known as the "Alhambra of Anatolia", this mosque is the first monument to be protected by UNESCO in Turkey. While the Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital has preserved its majesty for about 800 years, it impresses with 10 thousand different motifs embroidered on it. Divriği District Governor Yakup Papaker said that the first phase of the restoration work, which started in 2015, was completed in 2019, and that they plan to open the Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital for worship again in 2024. Restoration work is 70 percent complete Divriği District Governor Yakup Papaker stated that 70 percent of the restoration works have been completed and said, “Divriği Ulu Mosque is one of the most important works of Anatolia, the construction of which started in 1228 and was completed in 1243. Its construction was started by Ahmet Shah, son of Mengücek Shah Suleyman Shah. At the same time, the Darüşşifa section was continued by Ahmet Shah's wife, Melike Sultan. At the same time, it is the only work in Anatolia where a mosque and a hospital are adjacent. Our mosque was named 'World Cultural Heritage' by UNESCO in 1985. There are 10 thousand motifs in our Ulucami and Darüşşifa, but the most important feature of these motifs is that they are not symmetrical but asymmetrical. Each of these motifs has been used only once. In this sense, it is considered one of the first works in the world and in Anatolia. The architect of the Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital is Ahlatlı Hürrem Shah, the son of Muhlis. At the same time, the first and only work of the architect is Ulu Mosque and Hospital. In 2015, extensive restoration work started in Ulucami and the first phase was completed in 2019. The second phase of the restoration started in 2021 and will be completed in 2024. Thus, we will reopen our Ulu Mosque and Hospital. We can say that 70% of the restoration work is completed. However, the remaining 30 percent consists of the restoration of the doors, which constitute the most important visual of our mosque. Therefore, although the remaining part may seem small, we can say that it is a very important part.” “It will be opened to both worship and tourism” District Governor Papaker stated that the Divriği Ulu Mosque and Hospital will be opened to worship and tourism in 2024, and said, “Our Mosque, together with the Hospital, is the center of attention of domestic and foreign tourists. We host many tourists, especially from abroad, in our district. As of December 12, Turistlik will start its eastern train services. One of the stops is our Divriği district. One of the most frequented places of our guests is our Divriği Ulucami. As of now, it is not possible for us to tour the interior of our mosque and hospital, as the restoration work continues. Our guests can only visit the mosque through the outer door, accompanied by the narration of our guides. In the summer of 2024, our mosque will be opened to both worship and tourism.”

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The stone road awaits adventure enthusiasts

Restoration of Divriği's Great Mosque and Hospital is almost finished

Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği

Divrigi Ulu Mosque will be opened to worship in 2024