Category:Ulu Cami (Eski Van)

Archnet states: The remnants of the Great Mosque of Van -- the lower half of a minaret and foundation walls -- are often dated to Seljuk rule in the twelfth century. Art historian Aslanapa, who excavated the site in 1970-72, proposes a later construction date during the first rule of Qara Qoyunlu Sultan Qara Yusuf (1389-1400) based on a historical analysis of the d ecorative elements. A segment of a Ottoman period wall, part of a 1721 addition, has also survived to the west of the minaret. The mosque was abandoned after the collapse of its roof in the 1844 earthquake and was destroyed to its current state during World War I.