The erstwhile jami was made of red
sandstone, too. It was a splendid domed
building, of which the minaret was a part.
Saving of the tower became a common interest in the town at the end of the 19th century, so people started donating for the renovation of the minaret, which started in 1897. The building got a new dome made of red sandstone, so it harmonizes with the aspect of the original part of the tower. The minaret was renovated in the 1960s, and stabilized inside in the 1970s. The Turkish half-moon hasn't been removed from the top of the minaret,
but a cross has been put over it.
The minaret is 40 meters high. Reaching the narrow balcony of it requires climbing up on 97 small but high stairs, which makes it pretty hard to climb down. There is a unique panorama of the town from here. In the Turkish era Eger had 9 other minarets reaching to the heavens. Tourist guides don't forget to tell that this is the most Northern building of Turkish architecture.
PHOTOS FROM THE MINARET >>
