Historical mosque, hospital’s ‘balance column’ moves again

SİVAS

The Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital (Darüşşifa), a UNESCO World Heritage site in the central province of Sivas, has seen a remarkable event, as its famous “balance column,” which stopped moving during an earthquake, has resumed its rotation following extensive restoration work.

Renowned as the “El Hamra of Anatolia” by European scientists, the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital were opened for worship in May after nine years of meticulous restoration.

The mosque built by Ahmet Shah, son of Mengücekid ruler Süleyman Shah, and his wife Melike Turan Hatun in 1228 during the Anatolian Seljuk era, stands out for its unique architectural features and intricate stone decorations.

In 1985, UNESCO recognized the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital as Türkiye’s first protected heritage site.

The monument, which has stood for over 800 years, is famed for its detailed geometric designs, spiritual ambiance and historical significance.

One of the most striking features of the mosque is the balance column, which remained immobile since the 1939 earthquake in the eastern province of Erzincan. The column, designed to rotate, signified the structural balance of the building.

After years of restoration, experts ensured the column’s stability, allowing it to move once again after 85 years.

Cemal Karataş, the Foundations Sivas Regional Director, remarked on the restoration’s success, “The work was taken under protection by UNESCO in 1985. We realized its value late. God protects what He protects; He protected this work.”

“There is a balance stone. When this stone, which rotates with manual intervention where it is located, gets stuck and does not rotate due to effects such as earthquakes, we understood that the slope of the building had deteriorated.”

“This stone was stuck before the restoration work. Today, after the restoration, we were able to make our stone rotate again. It was a separate happiness for us to open it for tourism and worship again.”

was stuck before the restoration work. Today, after the restoration, we were able to make our stone rotate again. It was a separate happiness for us to open it for tourism and worship again.”