Adana Ulu Camii Iznik Tiles
Object or Group Name
Case Summary
Situated outside of Istanbul, the ceramic workshops of Iznik began producing ceramicware under the 15th-century rule of Mehmet II, the deep cobalt and white coloring reflecting the influence of Yuan and early Ming dynasty porcelains imported into the Islamic world. Ottoman ceramists utilized fritware to emulate true kaolin porcelain while maintaining the Ottoman spirit through ornamental intensity. As pigment control was refined, the 16th century saw the development of turquoise and emerald tones.
The Adana Ulu Camii or Adana Great Mosque was built in the 16th century under the Ramazanoğlu dynasty, beginning in 1513 by Ramazanoğlu Halil Bey, continued by his son and successor Piri Mehmet Pasha in 1520, and completed by him in 1541. Adorning the mihrab are Iznik tiles, depicting reeds, stylized Hatayi designs, rosettes, pomegranate blossoms, and arabesques, reflecting the craftsmanship that characterized the Ottoman Empire during this period.
In the aftermath of the 1998 Adana-Ceyhan earthquake and the subsequent restoration of the mosque, many of these tiles were stolen in two separate thefts. The first occurred on December 6, 2002, when unknown thieves stole 223 Iznik tiles; the second, on September 29, 2003, saw a further 196 tile panels stolen from the mosque.
Some of the stolen tiles have since been recovered. In September 2009, Turkish police seized 67 of the tiles stolen in 2002 in a raid on a residence in the Koca Mustafapaşa district of Istanbul. The Turkish Ministry of Culture’s Department for Combating the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property has also repatriated 12 tiles smuggled abroad.
The first repatriation occurred on September 20, 2017, after Christie’s London listed the piece at its October 6, 2011 “Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds” sale. The individual who put the tile up for sale notified the London Metropolitan Police of their ownership of the tile, which was stolen from the Adana Ulu Camii in 2003 and later returned to Türkiye.
On June 9, 2021, three tiles and one tile panel were returned from the Netherlands. Two of the tiles and the tile panel had been offered for sale on June 4, 2020 at Oriental Art Auctions, with an additional tile in their October 20, 2020 auction. After determining that all three tiles were stolen, the auction house cooperated in repatriating them to Türkiye.
The third repatriation occurred in December 2022, after Bonhams listed a tile stolen in 2003 in the catalogue for its “Islamic and Indian Art” auction in London, March 29, 2022. Following an intervention by the Turkish government, the owner surrendered it to the London Metropolitan Police for repatriation to Türkiye.
In 2025, the United Kingdom returned four additional tiles to Türkiye. One tile, stolen in 2003, was offered by Hannam’s Auctioneers in Hampshire in its “Fine Antiquities and Oriental Works of Art” auction on August 20, 2024. Hannam’s withdrew the work from the sale, however, and the consignor voluntarily agreed to return the work to Türkiye. John Nicholson’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Surrey listed another Iznik tile for sale, but after it was proved to have been stolen in 2002, the consignor alerted the Turkish authorities to a second stolen tile in their collection. Soon afterwards, a separate collector informed British police of a stolen Iznik tile in their possession.
In 2026, La Suite Subastas in Barcelona listed two (2) tiles for sale at auction. As a result of coordinated efforts with the Turkish government, the consignor agreed to relinquish their rights to them, facilitating their return to Türkiye.
Despite sustained efforts by the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a large number of tiles remain missing, and several stolen tiles that have appeared at auction were not returned.
Number of Objects
Object Type
Culture
Auction House
Receiving Country
Sources
Tile stolen from Adana Seyhan Ulu Mosque, returned from England (1 piece) (2017)
https://web.archive.org/web/20260308211350/https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-269742/98-ingiltereden-iadesi-saglanan-adana-seyhan-ulu-camiinden-calinan-cini-karo-1-adet-2017.html
Naza Ilgaz, (MA Thesis) Lost Turkish Tiles in Buildings from Istanbul= İstanbul’a Ait Yapılardaki Kayıp Türk Çinileri
https://web.archive.org/web/20260308211954/https://www.academia.edu/97424913/%C4%B0stanbul_a_Ait_Yap%C4%B1lardaki_Kay%C4%B1p_T%C3%BCrk_%C3%87inileri
Christie's Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5483212?ldp_breadcrumb=back
Tiles Returned from the Netherlands (2021)
https://archive.fo/8kGsM
Turkey Retrieves Stolen 16th Century Tiles from the Netherlands
https://archive.ph/ZmaLq
Adana Grand Mosque Tile Repatriated from England (2022)
https://archive.ph/BUSHZ
Bonhams: Islamic and Indian Art
https://web.archive.org/web/20260309051956/https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27406/lot/85/an-iznik-pottery-tile-turkey-circa-1575-80/
Iznik Tile Repatriated from England (2025)
https://archive.fo/ZvIWr
Iznik Tile Fragments Repatriated from England (2025)
https://archive.fo/Suo0H
Turkey Stops Sotheby's Auction of Stolen Mosque Tiles
https://archive.ph/sE3Rw
Documents
Images
Adana Grand Mosque Tile Repatriated from England (2022)
https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-335250/133-ingiltere39den-iadesi-saglanan-adana-ulu-camii-cinisi-1-adet-2022.html
Tile Stolen from Adana Seyhan Ulu Mosque
https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-269742/98-ingiltereden-iadesi-saglanan-adana-seyhan-ulu-camiinden-calinan-cini-karo-1-adet-2017.html