The Mosque That Survived in the Kahramanmaraş Neighborhood Earthquake

During the disaster of the century centered in Kahramanmaraş, in a neighborhood where hundreds of houses were damaged and collapsed, only a few buildings and a mosque remained standing. The mosque, whose minaret was the only part that collapsed, continues to host its congregation during prayer times.

Hayrullah Mahallesi Transforming into Azerbaycan Mahallesi

Hayrullah Mahallesi, located at the center of Kahramanmaraş, experienced a major destruction during the earthquakes on February 6th, turning into a neighborhood where thousands of people became homeless and lost their lives. It is being redesigned by the Azerbaijan government and renamed as Azerbaycan Mahallesi.

The Mehmet Kirişçi Mosque in the neighborhood also remained standing during the earthquake. Surrounding it are the buildings of the Chamber of Civil Engineers and Chamber of Architects, along with a few other buildings that survived, the mosque continues to host its congregation during prayer times.

The Imam of the mosque, Ahmet Yılmaz, said, “My apartment was right in front of the mosque’s qibla direction and was left half-standing during the earthquake. As soon as we went downstairs, we arrived at the mosque and saw that the neighborhood residents had taken refuge in the mosque. We helped them and lit a large bonfire outside. Our mosque is one of the rare places that survived the earthquake. We had minor damages, and after waiting for two to three days and once the debris started to be removed, we renovated our mosque and opened it for worship again. With the support of our government and the Azerbaijan government, a new construction has started and is progressing rapidly. Our mosque is open for worship, and the neighborhood is gradually improving. We welcome our congregation to our mosque.”

A citizen named Serhat Pülat also stated, “There are about a thousand workers working here, and these workers perform their prayers in this mosque, which is actually an opportunity for us. There is no other mosque around, and its open doors bring us joy.”