Gogceli Mosque The Gogceli Mosque, located in the town of Çarşamba in Samsun, Turkey, is believed to be the oldest surviving wooden mosque in Turkey. It is situated in the Gogceli Cemetery in the Cay neighborhood. The mosque's age has been verified through architectural analysis of its design and construction style. According to researchers, wooden samples taken from the building suggest that the mosque dates back to 1206 and was repaired in 1335. The building's beams, extending towards the portico sections, were connected using only wrought-iron nails rather than wood plugs, reflecting its unique construction method. The mosque was constructed using various types of trees such as elm, ash, and chestnut. These materials were used for many parts of the building, including poles on the walls, pole heads, beams, rafters, and roof supports. The planks used for the walls are approximately 15-18 cm thick, 50-70 cm wide, and around 12 to 20 meters long. To prevent ventilation and decay of the structure, the bottom of the building has been excavated to a certain depth. However, due to the building's age, the interior decorations have faded and fallen from their original positions. The northern section of the mosque features a slightly curved design with an arched ceiling, while the roof of another section has three shoulders and is covered with Turkish-style tiles. A restoration project in 2007 confirmed the authenticity of the preservation system used during the construction of the mosque, as well as important features such as the use of rafters and hand-drawn embroidery (using madder dye) on the roof boards. The artisans who built the mosque used different color schemes, patterns, and designs on almost every piece they created. What sets this artwork apart is that most of it was done using herbs and plants native to the region. The sculpture stonework in the sanctuary features ornaments such as stylized arches, curvy branches, flowers, and snake-like curved branch extensions. The quality of these decorations varies, with the odd ocher shapes on the rafters being of lesser quality than other ornaments. Other carvings present on capitals and consoles in the sanctuary have poorer craftsmanship, appearing like rough woodwork colored by dark paint. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding Gogceli Mosque, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via Whatsapp, and we will respond as soon as possible.