Turkish villagers strive to preserve historic wooden mosque
Construction of the Esederesi Mosque in Paşaköy began in 1880. After the master builder lost his life during construction, his son completed the mosque in 1899.
The mosque was built entirely of wood, without nails, using a notch-and-lock system carved into the timber at the corners, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.
Located at the center of Paşaköy’s seven neighborhoods, the Esederesi Mosque served for many years as the village’s only mosque. Over time, however, other mosques were built in different neighborhoods.
Despite standing the test of time, the nail-free mosque is not frequently preferred for daily prayers because it is far from some neighborhoods, even though it remains open at all times.
Village residents make a special effort to perform Friday and holiday prayers at the Esederesi Mosque in the Çoban neighborhood.
Villagers repaired the roof with their own means
Kastamonu'nun Taşköprü ilçesine bağlı Paşaköy'de bulunan 126 yıllık çivisiz Esederesi Camisi, yıllara meydan okuyor
— Anadolu Ajansı (@anadoluajansi) December 28, 2025
1880’de yapımına başlanan cami, ustasının vefatının ardından oğlu tarafından 1899’da tamamlandı
Cami çivisiz ve köşelerde ağaçlara açılan çentik kilit… pic.twitter.com/6IUTEKqdLX
As reported by CE Report, village headman Oğuzhan Şenel told Anadolu Agency (AA) that local residents are trying to keep the historic mosque standing.
Emphasizing that the Esederesi Mosque is very special, Şenel said:
“Our mosque is wooden and built without nails. As villagers, we are striving to keep it alive. We especially come for Friday prayers so that it does not remain empty. In recent years, we repaired the roof with our own means, but it needs maintenance again.”
Village resident Yunus Çoban noted that they perform Friday and holiday prayers at the Esederesi Mosque, saying:
“This is a historic structure. It has been in use for more than 100 years. To keep it alive, villagers came together and renewed its roof and tiles.”
“They showed remarkable craftsmanship with wood”
Ahmet Eker, 80, said:
“This is a central place. In the past, people from other villages also used to come here to pray. This was the center for other villages as well. They showed remarkable craftsmanship with wood.”
Eighty-five-year-old Recep Gökgöz also pointed out that they try to regularly visit the mosque, adding:
“Now every village has a mosque. Back then, there was only this one. We are trying to preserve it and take care of it. We do not want it to fall into ruin. We have maintained it as much as we could, but from now on we hope it will be restored more beautifully.”
