The Sehzade Korkut Mosque or simply the Korkut Mosque (Şehzâde Korkut Camii) is one of the main mosques of Antalya, which is a mosque-museum, has a rich history and traces of several eras.
The mosque is located in the heart of Antalya - the old town of Kaleici (Kaleiçi).
Part of the mosque is a minaret, which is known as the Kesik Minaret (Kesik Minare). The minaret is clearly visible from the nearby streets of the historical center of Antalya.
Throughout history, the shrine has been a temple, a church and a mosque, which it is today.
The history of the mosque dates back to the 2nd century AD, when it was built as a Roman classical temple. In the 7th century, the temple was rebuilt into a Byzantine church in honor of the Virgin Mary using elements of the temple. The church was badly damaged during the Arab invasions and was restored in the 9th century. In the 13th century, after the invasion of the Seljuk Turks, the church was converted into a mosque, and a minaret was added. After the conquest of the coast by the king Cyprus Peter I in 1361 the mosque was again consecrated into a church. During the reign of Shehzad Korkut, the son of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, the church again became a mosque, and a modern minaret was built. In honor of Shehzad, the mosque got its name.
In 1896, the church and the minaret were badly damaged by fire. Since then, the minaret of the mosque has become known as the Kesik Minaret, which translates as "Broken Minaret".
The ruins of the mosque with the Kesik minaret remained undeveloped until, in 2018, work began on the restoration of the mosque with the concept of turning the shrine into a mosque-museum.
The mosque officially opened its doors on March 5, 2021, the anniversary when Antalya was conquered by the Seljuk Empire.
Today, this historically rich building functions as a mosque and as a museum, which has absorbed the traces of seven civilizations, which can be seen both outside and near the mosque, and inside.
The interior of the mosque is steeped in history.
Epochs are intertwined here, which anyone can see.
Practical information
Entrance to the Korkut Mosque is free. Donations are welcome; yes, they are needed, because maintaining this historical uniqueness is a costly matter.
Address of the Korkut Mosque: Kılınçarslan, Hesapçı Sk. No:42, 07100 Muratpaşa/Antalya, Turkey.
Coordinates of the Korkut Mosque: 36°52'58.0"N 30°42'21.0"E (36.882778, 30.705833).
All accommodation facilities in Antalya (hotels, apartments, villas, guest houses, etc.), including in the historical center of the city, near beaches and more remotely from those, can be view and book here