Around 400,000 people visited the Divriği Great Mosque and hospital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the first nine months of this year.
Promoted with the slogan “Don’t die before you see it,” the 798-year-old complex reopened for prayers and visits on May 6, 2024, following its most extensive restoration to date, which lasted nine years. It continues to welcome visitors from across Türkiye.
According to data from the Directorate General of Foundations, around 400,000 people had visited the UNESCO-listed monument as of Sept. 28 this year.
Nail Ayan, the imam and a volunteer guide at the Divriği Great Mosque, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that working at the historic complex had been a childhood dream.
Devoting himself to serving the monument and volunteering as a guide, Ayan said he has continued serving there for years because he did not want visitors to leave without learning about the place. “Telling people about this monument gives me peace and happiness,” he said. “It is a great honor for me to see the joy in their eyes after they hear about it and the happiness they feel as they leave.”
Ayan said visitor numbers have continued to rise since the restoration. “After reopening, 70,000 people visited through the end of that season. Before the restoration, we saw an average of 35,000 visitors per season, which runs roughly from May to October. In 2025, that number reached 220,000. This year, it has reached 400,000. We hope it will reach 500,000 by the end of the year.”
Ayan said visitors are often struck by the monument’s grandeur, with many expressing surprise that they had not known such a remarkable monument existed in Sivas or Divriği, let alone in Türkiye. “Once they learn about it, they tell us they decided to visit and that it was absolutely worth the trip,” he said. “They also say they could not be prouder of our ancestors for creating such a monument.” According to Ayan, such reactions are common among visitors.
“This monument has finally received the recognition it deserves,” he said. “This is such a remarkable monument that it is an encyclopedia in itself.”
