Four-Legged Minaret (Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque)

The Four-Legged Minaret, part of the Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque, rises at the very heart of Diyarbakır's old walled city (Sur district) and is a structure without equal anywhere in Anatolia.

History and Etymology

According to the Arabic inscription on the minaret, it was built in the year 1500 (AH 906) during the reign of the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Kasım Bey, through the labour of Hüseyin, son of Hacı Ömer; for this reason the building is also known as Şeyh Matar, Kasım Padişah or Kasım Bey Mosque. It takes its name from Sheikh Mutahhar, who is believed to be buried on the estate on which the mosque stands.

Architectural Features and Legend

The minaret's most striking feature is that its shaft does not sit directly on the ground but rests on four thick stone columns. Local tradition holds that these four legs symbolise the four schools of Sunni Islam (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali), and a widespread belief maintains that whoever passes under the columns and walks beneath them seven times will have their wish granted. This has turned the monument into a spiritual as well as an architectural attraction. The alternating courses of black basalt and white limestone, the signature striped masonry of Diyarbakır, make it one of the most graceful examples of the city's stonecraft; the cylindrical shaft rising from a square base and crowned by a conical spire appears as an unexpected surprise between the narrow lanes.

Cultural Significance

Its cultural significance lies not only in its unique form but in the way a mosque standing shoulder to shoulder with Syriac, Armenian and Chaldean churches embodies the multi-faith fabric of Diyarbakır. This is precisely why agencies treat it as an indispensable stop: it sits at the midpoint of the walking route between the Great Mosque and Hasan Pasha Han and the ring of the Virgin Mary, Surp Giragos and Chaldean churches, offering a powerful story and a memorable photograph.

Visiting, Access and Practical Information

The average visit lasts fifteen to twenty-five minutes, enough for a short pause in the small courtyard, a walk beneath the minaret and a few photos. On a guided full-day old-city programme it is the natural stop after leaving the Great Mosque and before entering the church circuit. The best photographs are taken in the morning and late afternoon, looking upward from beneath the columns and framing the tower through the narrow street.

Access is entirely on foot, a few minutes' walk from Gazi and Melik Ahmet streets, with the nearest tour-bus drop-off points at Dağ Kapı Square and the Mardin Gate car parks. Although the old city's narrow, stone-paved lanes make wheelchair access partly difficult, the ground around the minaret is level and passing beneath it is unobstructed. As the mosque remains active, modest dress is advised.

The best seasons to visit are spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October); summer midday heat exceeding 40°C makes early morning or late afternoon preferable. Peak season falls in spring and the religious holidays. Lightly damaged in the earthquakes of 6 February 2023, the structure was restored by the General Directorate of Foundations, with works completed in late 2024, and the minaret has reopened to visitors.