The Ahi Elvan Mosque was built in the immediate vicinity of the Ankara Fortress (Citadel). This austere building has stood in the centre of the city for many centuries.
The small Ahi Elvan Mosque was built in 1382. It was erected in the spirit of the time and has the appearance of most Seljuk mosques. It has another another name for it - "The Forest Mosque". In 1413, the mosque was restored on the orders of Mehmed Çelebi, and it took on the appearance we can still see today.
From the outside, Ahi Elvan has a very simple appearance: the rough walls are made of of adobe bricks. The tiled roof is covered in the Turkish style. There are windows in the walls, arranged in two rows of six each, and above the altar in two rows of four. The entrance gate of the mosque is lined with stones and all sorts of ornaments. The mosque has a balcony and a minaret located in the north-west corner of the mosque.
Ahi Elwan has wooden ceilings and is the most beautiful example of woodwork. The ceiling is supported by twelve columns, also made of the wood used in the construction of Byzantine and Roman buildings. The ceiling is decorated with pentagon motifs, an elegant example of the Seljuk style.
