Historical Akçakoca Çantı Wooden Mosque (Hemşin)

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore The historical Akçakoca Çantı Wooden Mosque is a living wooden art monument built entirely from oak and chestnut trees in the 1870s by the Hemşin people who migrated to Akçakoca from the Eastern Black Sea region after the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War (93 War) using the 'chantı' technique (logs interlocking without using any nails). The lower floor of the two-storey mosque is a cut stone quarry, and the upper floor is the pinnacle of traditional forest architecture with its painted root flower motifs on the ceiling, wooden pulpit and embroidered wooden railings. Local narratives say that the logs used in the construction of the mosque were cut one by one with prayers and that they were protected against fires and earthquakes for centuries with the blessings of these prayers. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features It is located in Hemşin Village, surrounded by hazelnut gardens and lush chestnut forests of Akçakoca, at an altitude of approximately 210 meters. The clean forest air of the Black Sea and the serene greenery of the hazelnut groves surround the authentic architecture of the mosque. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees