Makam-ı Şerif Mosque and Danyal Prophet
Mausoleum (Center):Makamı Şerif Mosque is constructed in
1857. At east of the mosque, there is the mausoleum of Danyal
Prophet. For this reason, “Makam mosque” name is given to the
mosque.
Hz. Danyal, had lived during II. Babil King Nebukadnesar (605 -
562 B. C.) period, and saved the Jewish people from Babil
slavery via his sciences and predictions. According to the
rumor; Nebukadnesar had learned from his dreams that a boy from
İsmailoğulları will shake his throne. Thereupon, he ordered his
subjects to kill all boys born from İsmailoğulları. When Hz.
Danyal born, his family left him to a cavern on a mountain. In
the cavern, under the guardianship of a male and female lion,
Danyal had grown, and after his childhood Danyal had joined to
its tribe. During a famine year, with the coming of Tarsus
invited prophet Danyal to Tarsus, a plenty year is occurred, and
for this reason Prophet Danyal did not let to return to Babil,
and buried to the place where Makam Mosque is present now after
his death.
In A. H. 17, when Tarsus is conquered during Hz. Ömer period,
mausoleum of Prophet Danyal is opened, and a very long corpse
bandaged with a canvas, woven with golden thread, is found here
within a huge tomb. As a symbol of his adventures, a ring is
found, on which two lions, from one is male, and a boy licked by
a female lion figures are carved. Thus, Hz. Ömer, to protect the
body of Prophet Danyal from robbery of Jewish people, had buried
him to a more deep cemetery and waters of a small stream, coming
from Berdan River, is passed over it. Consequently, during the
final repair of the mosque, thick and smooth crenel bars are
found at the entrance point at below and behind part of the
mosque at very deep. Corpse of the Prophet Danyal is much more
deeper than these waters, passing from these crenels.
Ashabı Kehf Cavern (Tarsus):It is 14 kilometers away from
Tarsus, and near to Ulaş Village. This cavern, which is
mentioned in Holy Quran, Kehf section, is deemed as holy by
Moslems and Christians. You can climb down to the cavern via 15
- 20 stages.
A legend of Eshab-ı Kehf Cavern is mentioned among natives.
During the periods, when belief to mythological gods is loosing
power gradually, seven Christian boys (Seliha, Mekseline,
Meslina, Mernuş, Sazernuş, Debernuş and Kafetatyuş), who are
escaping from torture as they believe in monotheism, had taken
to the attendance of the king as they are not accepting to turn
back to idolatry. King gave them a few days period with saying
that they should believe in idolatry otherwise they will be
killed. Seven boys, with benefiting from the period, had escaped
to a cavern with taking the dog named Kıtmir with them for
escaping from death. They are granted with a sleep of 300 years
by God. And first awakened one among them, had gone to the city
for buying food, but arrested due to the old coins of him. When
arresting person had come to the cavern with him, he had seen
nothing other than a nest, where seven chick birds were
perching. For this reason here is named as Seven Sleepers
Cavern.
Ulu Mosque (Tarsus):The Mosque in Tarsus, is constructed
in 1579 by İbrahim Bey, son of Piri Pasha from Ramazanoğluları
on St. Pierre Church ruins. On the minaret with single balcony
aside of mosque, Ottoman and Seljukian methods are reigning.