Kurtulus Mosque The Kurtuluş Mosque, originally called St. Mary's Church Cathedral or the "Holy Mother of God Church," is a historic Armenian place of worship situated in the Tepebaşı district of Gaziantep, Turkey. The church was designed by the Ottoman-Armenian architect Sarkis Balyan, who served under Sultan Abdulhamid II. Construction began in 1892 by the stonemason Sarkis Tashciyan. The complex also included school and administrative buildings serving the diocese of Antep. In 1915, the building was repurposed as a storage facility and remained unused until the 1920s. Later, it served as a prison until the 1970s, before being converted into a mosque in 1986. This mosque stands as one of the largest religious edifices in Gaziantep, featuring a rectangular design spread over three levels. The columns are aligned perpendicular to the mihrab. The exterior of the cross-shaped arms is supported by arches, while the interior is covered with cross vaults. Built primarily from stone, the mosque showcases pointed arched windows on the lower two tiers and circular windows on the uppermost tier. The mihrab extends outward in a rectangular form, creating additional space. There are three tiers of windows, with the largest centrally placed within the pediment. The original church bell, crafted in Brazil by an Armenian residing in London, is now preserved at the Gaziantep Museum. A minaret was added later, characterized by its cylindrical shaft resting on a square base. The mosque has five entrances: two face north, two face south, and one faces west. If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via Whatsapp, and we will reply as soon as possible.