File:Kesik Minare Mosque.jpg

English: This photo is of the ruins of this structure in Antalya, Turkey where i was visiting on a business meeting. The very interesting history is below. The stones from previous incarnations were reused. Right in the center there is a carved cross from the time that stone was part of a church. There are some others here that look like they could be from the original Roman temple. The Kesik Minare Cami (a.k.a. Broken Minaret Mosque, Korkut Cami or Cumanın Cami) is in the heart of Kaleiçi on Hesapci Sk. It was originally a Roman temple in the 2nd century AD. it was converted into a Byzantine church (honoring the Virgin Mary) in the 7th century, but was heavily damaged later that century during the Arab invasions; it was repaired in the 9th century. The church was converted into a mosque when the Sultanate of Rum acquired Antalya in the early 13th century, which is when the minaret was added. In 1361, the crusader king of Cyprus conquered Antalya from the Seljuks, and the mosque became a church again. It was reconverted into a mosque during the rule of Sehzade Korkut (an Ottoman prince assassinated in 1513). The main building was destroyed in a fire in 1800, but the minaret survived as the Kesik Minare. In 2019 the top cone and balcony were being restored, so was not open. The minaret soars over the traditional Turkish houses in the heart of Kaleiçi, a monument to the spiritual power of the area for almost two millennia. It is beautifully lit at night. [Trip Advisor]