The story of Alâeddin Niğde Mosque

On this mosque's eastern portal, two carved human heads with braided hair look down at you; some think they stand for the moon and the sun, others for the master builder Sıddık and his brother Gazi. One of Niğde's symbols, the Alaeddin Mosque was built in 1223 inside the city's inner citadel, commissioned by Zeyneddin Beşare Bey in the name of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad. Its inscriptions name Sıddık and Ebubekir as chief architects, with Mahmud and his brother Gazi also at work.

Built entirely of smooth cut stone, it has no courtyard, and three domes stand side by side in front of the mihrab. The richly carved east portal faces the main road and the city, with a two-line building inscription in thuluth script on marble. Look for the cylindrical minaret in the northeast corner, made of two-coloured cut stone.

Inside, two nested mihrabs seem to mirror the north and east portals.