Barsama Neighborhood

Barsama Neighborhood is located in the Kocasinan district of Kayseri Province, within Türkiye’s Central Anatolia Region. The neighborhood lies along the Kayseri-Sivas highway, approximately 25 kilometers from the city center. The area is home to the Barsama Valley, known for its natural beauty.

History

The history of Barsama Neighborhood dates back to the Ottoman period. The Barsama Camii, built in 1567 by Mahpeyker Hatice Hatun, is one of the neighborhood’s historic structures. Additionally, a fountain located in the neighborhood and the road known as the “Kervan Yolu” have been registered as immovable cultural heritage sites by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Demographic Structure

According to 2021 data, the total population of Barsama Neighborhood is 322, of whom 188 are male and 134 are female. The neighborhood covers an area of 1,882.54 hectares and has a low population density.

Natural Beauties and Recreation Areas

The Barsama Valley is one of the region’s most notable areas due to its natural beauty. The Barsama Recreation Area, developed by the Kocasinan Municipality, attracts visitors with its diverse landscapes rich in shades of green.

Barsama Recreation Area (Source: Kocasinan Municipality)

Historic Structures

• Kervan Yolu: This historic road located within the neighborhood has been registered as an immovable cultural heritage site by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
• Historic Fountain: This fountain, owned by the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality and located in the neighborhood, was registered as a cultural heritage site in 2019.

Barsama Mahpeyker Hatice Hatun Camii

The Barsama Camii is an Ottoman structure from the 16th century located within the boundaries of Barsama Neighborhood in the Kocasinan district of Kayseri. It was built in 1567 by Mahpeyker Hatice Hatun, daughter of Musa Paşa and wife of Memiş Bey. The mosque is regarded as one of the provincial examples of classical Ottoman architecture.

The mosque was constructed during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Selim II in 1567. Survey and documentation work on the mosque was carried out in the first half of the 20th century by French architect, restorer, and art historian Albert Gabriel. Gabriel arrived in Istanbul in 1926 and spent many years working in the fields of art history and archaeology in Türkiye, contributing significantly to the documentation of numerous Ottoman monuments in Istanbul and Anatolia. Photographs of the Barsama Camii appear in Gabriel’s 1954 publication Kayseri Türk Anıtları.

According to photographs published by Albert Gabriel, the mosque retained the architectural features of its time at the time of documentation. The entrance portal and the section of the minaret up to the balcony remained standing, and parts of the walls were preserved in a manner that revealed the building’s original foundation. It is believed that a caravanserai structure once stood beside the mosque, but this building has been completely demolished.

Barsama Mahpeyker Hatice Hatun Camii (Source: Burhanettin Akbaş)

Today, only the section of the minaret up to the balcony and a few accumulated wall fragments remain from the original structure. The entrance portal has been completely destroyed, and the mosque’s foundation has largely disappeared. In 1961, a new mosque was constructed on the same site, and a plaque was placed on this new structure stating: “Barsama Camii, built in 1567 during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Selim II by Mahpeyker Hatice Hatun, daughter of Musa Paşa.”

Current State of Barsama Mahpeyker Hatice Hatun Camii (Source: Burhanettin Akbaş)

The original structure of the Barsama Camii is now largely in ruins. Very little of the building has survived to the present day, apart from the lower section of the minaret and some wall fragments. The new mosque built in 1961 stands on the same site as the historic mosque. No large-scale conservation or restoration efforts have been undertaken to preserve the original structure.