Restoration work continues at the Fethiye Mosque (formerly the Ani Cathedral), the first conquest mosque in Anatolia, where the first Friday prayer was held following the Seljuk capture of the region.
The site is located within the Ani ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kars, eastern Türkiye.
The Ani ruins, which include notable examples of 11th and 12th-century Turkish-Islamic architecture, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012 and officially inscribed in 2016. Spread across nearly 100 hectares, Ani is home to significant Turkish-Islamic structures such as the Ebu’l Menuçehr Mosque (also known as the Ani Grand Mosque), the Seljuk Cemetery and Seljuk-style mausoleums, as well as Christian-era religious monuments including the Ani Cathedral (Fethiye Mosque), Amenap’rkitch Church, Tigran Honents Church and Abughamrents Church.
The Fethiye Mosque, registered as an “immovable cultural property requiring protection,” is situated on a plateau above the Arpaçay valley, in the southern section of Ani. Its construction began in 987 under Prince Simbat II and was completed in 1010 by Katramide, the wife of Bagratid ruler Gagik I. The architect of the building was Trdat, who is also known for restoring the dome of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Following the Seljuk conquest of Ani by Sultan Alparslan in 1064, the cathedral was converted into a mosque in line with Turkish conquest traditions. Sultan Alparslan performed the first Friday prayer there, and the building became known as the Fethiye Mosque (“Mosque of Conquest”).
Excavation head Muhammet Arslan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Sultan Alparslan’s conquest of Ani on Aug. 16, 1064, had a profound impact across the Islamic world. He noted that Abbasid Caliph Al-Qa’im bi-Amrillah granted Alparslan the title “Abu’l-Fath,” meaning “Father of Conquest.”
Arslan added: “Immediately after the conquest, Alparslan converted the cathedral, then the largest church in Ani, into a mosque according to Turkish conquest traditions. He replaced the cross on the dome with a golden crescent he had brought with him, and the first Friday prayer was performed here.”
Highlighting the historical significance, Arslan emphasized that the structure is the first known conquest mosque in Anatolia. “The church was built in the late 10th century during the Bagratid era. After the Seljuk conquest, it became a mosque and hosted the first Friday prayer in Anatolia. We know of only two true conquest mosques in Anatolian history, this mosque in Ani and the Hagia Sophia, which was converted after the 1453 conquest of Istanbul by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. That’s why this structure holds deep historical and symbolic meaning.”
Arslan explained that the mosque was designed in a domed basilica plan and reiterated that Trdat, its architect, was invited to Istanbul to repair the dome of Hagia Sophia before returning to Ani to complete the mosque.
He noted that once the three-phase restoration, jointly conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the World Monuments Fund, is complete, the mosque will reopen to visitors. “We are currently in the second phase of restoration, which is expected to be completed this year. The third phase will follow in the coming years, after which the mosque will be open to visitors,” he said.
