Hasankeyf Merkez Selahaddin-i Eyyübi Camii

High above the ancient stone ruins of Hasankeyf, in the southeastern Turkish province of Batman, the Hasankeyf Merkez Selahaddin i Eyyubi Camii occupies an honoured place in a town whose history has witnessed empires rise and fall along the banks of the Tigris. Hasankeyf was already a fortified settlement in late antiquity, served as a bishopric in the Byzantine period, was absorbed by the Arab conquests in the seventh century, and later flourished under the Artuqids and the Ayyubids. Medieval travellers described its carved cave dwellings, its ornate bridge across the Tigris, and its bustling caravanserais. Though the construction of the Ilisu dam has drastically altered the landscape, the town has been carefully rebuilt on higher ground, and the new central mosque reflects both the continuity of worship and the resilience of its people.

The mosque carries the honoured name of Salah ad Din al Ayyubi, the twelfth century Kurdish general who liberated Jerusalem in 1187 and whose memory is cherished across the wider Muslim world for his piety, generosity, and respect even toward his enemies. Salah ad Din spent time in the regions of Diyarbakir and Hasankeyf while building the alliance that eventually retook the holy city, and naming a masjid after him anchors the community in a proud local and pan Islamic history that draws visitors from far beyond Batman province.

The structure is an example of modern Turkish mosque architecture, with a large central dome, semi domes at the corners, and twin slender minarets rising above the tiled roofs of the new town. Inside, stencilled floral patterns in cobalt and gold decorate the dome's interior, calligraphic roundels bearing the names of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and of his rightly guided successors, may God be pleased with them, ornament the base of the cupola, and deep red carpets run between rows of carved wooden lecterns.

Travellers arriving to see the ancient citadel, the Zeynel Bey tomb, the medieval bridge piers in the Tigris waters, or the surrounding almond and pistachio orchards will find here a generous welcome, accurate daily prayer times listed on this page, and a congregation proud to share its remarkable heritage with every visitor who steps into the old yet newly risen town.