It had stopped after 7 centuries, and started moving again after 85 years

The balance stone in Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital, the first structure protected by UNESCO in Turkey, which was completed after the restoration following the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, moved again after 85 years.

Dubbed as ‘The Red Apple of Anatolia’ by European scientists, Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital, which was under restoration for 9 years, was opened for worship in May after the completion of the restoration works.

Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital, built in 1228 in the town of Divriği in Sivas during the period of Mengücekli Beylik, a sub-branch of the Anatolian Seljuks, by Mengücek Shah Süleyman Shah’s son Ahmet Shah and his wife Melike Turan Hanım, has no equivalent in the world. The structure, which was protected by UNESCO in Turkey in 1985, stands majestically for 800 years, impressing with 10,000 different motifs engraved on it. Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital is described as a ‘masterpiece’ with its stone decorations, 3D geometric styles, architectural features, and spiritual atmosphere.

‘The balance column moved after 85 years’

The ‘Balance column’ in the unique structure, which lost its feature in the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, had not moved for 85 years. Showing that the structure was statically balanced by moving for 7 centuries, the ‘Balance column’ started to move again after the completion of the 9-year restoration works to stabilize the static state of the structure.

“The President closely followed”

Speaking about the issue, Cemal Karaca, the Director of Foundations in Sivas Region, stated, ‘The structure was protected by UNESCO in 1985. We realized its value too late. Allah protects what He protects, and He protected this structure as well, and it has survived until today. In addition to the unique details in the structure, there is also a balance stone. When this stone, which rotates manually in its place, does not get stuck and rotate due to impacts like earthquakes, we understood that the building’s inclination was disrupted. Before the restoration work, this stone was stuck. Today, after the restoration, we have managed to make our stone rotate again. It was a separate happiness for us to reopen for tourism and worship. It was a study managed with the special instructions and interest of our President. Thanks to Him, we have seen these days’.