Ulu Cami (Harput)

12th-century Seljuk mosque in old Harput with a famously crooked minaret

The Ulu Cami in Harput is one of the oldest Seljuk mosques in Anatolia, built in 1156 under the Artuqid ruler Fahreddin Karaaslan. The prayer hall is low and atmospheric, with stout brick piers and a system of small domes typical of early Seljuk architecture.

The minaret beside it is the headline — visibly tilted off vertical, like a brick Pisa, and just as photogenic. The whole complex sits in the old village core of Harput, a few minutes' walk from the castle and the Arap Baba shrine.

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A story
The minaret leans visibly to one side — it has been off vertical since the 13th century, and the Turkish name for it is the Eğri Minare, the Crooked Minaret. Theories range from an earthquake to deliberate construction; no one is sure.

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