THE REUSE OF BYZANTINE SPOLIA IN THE GREEN MOSQUE OF BURSA

Publications on the Green Mosque, built by Sultan Mehmed I the Çelebi, mention the use of spolia from the Byzantine period but do not give information on the definition or location of these pieces. Therefore, this paper points out the spolia from the Byzantine period used in the Green Mosque, a well-studied topic in the Ottoman architecture and is well known thanks to its inscriptions, and evaluates the pieces. The Green Mosque of Bursa was built at a time when the Ottoman State had recently evaded invasion by Timur and the following fights for the throne and struggled to prove itself. It is believed the Green Mosque of Bursa was used both as a mosque and an administrative building, and spolia pieces on the way to the mahfil (loge) are significant. No similar type of spolia was used in other parts of the structure. Financial reasons and aesthetic concerns are important factors in the reuse of construction materials from various periods for similar or alternative functions. Aesthetic concerns were not disregarded in the stone works from the Byzantine period used in the Green Mosque ofBursa. However, it was not solely due to aesthetic concerns that these pieces were used. Considering the relationship of the area where the spolia was used with the mahfil and its public attributes, it may be suggested that it was an intentional preference of the Ottoman State and Sultan Mehmed I to use materials from a powerful predecessor empire, the Byzantine so that they could prove themselves. Stone works from the Byzantine period reused in the Green Mosque are Corinthian and composite capitals, columns and Attic column bases. These stone works, dated to the 5th and 6th centuries, are among widespread examples of the Early Byzantine Period.