Yozgat’s mosques generally feature motifs characteristic of the Baroque and Rococo styles.
Several historic mosques in the central province of Yozgat, home to important examples of Baroque and Rococo decorative art in central Türkiye, stand out for their rich ornamentation on walls, ceilings and mihrabs.
The Baroque style, an artistic movement that emerged in Europe in the late 16th century and became known for its elaborate decoration, and the Rococo style, a more delicate decorative movement that emerged after Baroque, entered Turkish art during the Ottoman Empire’s Westernization period.
Curving branches, floral motifs, “S” and “C” curves, cartouches and acanthus leaves, blended with traditional Turkish decorative elements, reflect the artistic understanding of the period in the historic mosques.
The Çapanoğlu, Başçavuşzade, Cevahir Ali Efendi, Tekke Arap Dede, Nakıpzade (Hoşyar Kadın) and Kayyımzade mosques in the city center, as well as the Tokmak Hasan Paşa Mosque in Paşaköy village of Şefaatli district, are among the buildings where Baroque and Rococo influences can be seen.
Adem Sevim, an assistant professor in the Department of Art History at Yozgat Bozok University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, told state-run Anadolu Agency that Yozgat has notable examples of the Baroque and Rococo styles that entered Ottoman art during the Westernization period.
Sevim said the Tokmak Hasan Paşa Mosque in Paşaköy is among the most striking examples of this decorative approach in Yozgat.
“Tokmak Hasan Paşa Mosque was built by Çerkez Mehmet Bey in 1773 and restored by Yakup Muzaffer Bey in 1895. In terms of its plan and architecture, the mosque reflects the Seljuk tradition. It has a longitudinal rectangular plan, wooden supports and a wooden ceiling. Motifs from the Westernization period were added to the building during the 1895 restoration. In particular, we believe that figurative decorations such as flag and mosque motifs were added to the walls of the prayer hall,” he said.
Sevim said the Başçavuşzade Mosque in the city center was built in 1800 by Halil Ağa, the chief officer of the Çapanoğlu family, according to its inscription.
He noted that Baroque and Rococo decorations can be seen on the mosque’s mihrab, prayer hall walls and cornices.
Providing information about the decorations in the other mosques, Sevim said they generally feature motifs characteristic of the Baroque and Rococo styles, including curving branches, floral designs, “S” and “C” curves, cartouches and acanthus leaves.
“We frequently see the construction of these buildings in the small Bozok Sanjak”
Sevim said these styles did not enter Turkish art directly but were blended with the Turks’ own artistic styles and decorative traditions in an eclectic manner.
“Generally, we see these decorations in Istanbul, the capital of the empire, but thanks to the efforts and financial support of the Çapanoğlu family, we encounter these decorations in many mosques in Yozgat as well,” he said.
“Yozgat can undoubtedly be cited among the places that best reflect mosques decorated in the Baroque and Rococo styles. The efforts of the Çapanoğlu family and the fact that this was a regional center as a sanjak at the time played a role in this. Çorum, Amasya, Kayseri and, for a period, the provinces of Adana and Tarsus were administered from here. The power of the Çapanoğlu family, the strategic location of the Bozok Sanjak and its strong relations with Istanbul, the imperial capital and the palace, meant that these buildings were frequently constructed in the Bozok Sanjak,” he said.
