The Fascinating Armenian Church of St. Hakob in Adana

Akunq.net writes that the Turkish “Anadolu” told the story of the Armenian church of St. Hakob in Adana (Plateau Cilicia) which had been turned into a mosque named Yakh.

According to the source, the head of the Seyhan district of Çukurova Province Hassan Hussein Güler told the “Anadolu” news agency that the mosque used to be the Armenian church of St. Hakob and that it had been transformed into a mosque in 1501 by the order of the authorities. 27 years later, its western minaret would be built.

The imam of the mosque Enes Eser said that this place had been a Muslim spiritual center, and that an additional part of the mosque would be built 57 years later.

Eser added that diggings and wells were discovered on the church grounds as a result of excavations.

“When a mosque was built next to the church, at the same time madrasas (an Islamic educational institution) were founded. The grounds are very spacious. This place has been mainly used as a spiritual center. In fact, it can be considered as a small university,” concluded Eser.