Taksim Mosque

History

A mosque on Taksim Square had been proposed since the 1950s but met decades of resistance, as the square was a symbol of the secular republic; in 1983 the Council of State halted the project as 'not in the public interest.' The question became a flashpoint during the 2013 Gezi Park protests. Construction finally began in February 2017, and on 28 May 2021 the mosque was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after Friday prayers. With its completion, one of Istanbul's most famous and contested public squares — facing the Atatürk Cultural Center — gained a large monumental mosque.

Architecture

The mosque was designed by architects Şefik Birkiye and Selim Dalaman in a contemporary idiom described as 'Neo-Art Deco' — a 21st-century reinterpretation of the traditional Ottoman domed scheme. Its central dome has an outer diameter of 28 metres and rises to about 33 metres, while the two minarets reach 64.8 metres. Materials include titanium-zinc, Emperador Light marble and Aero Cream stone, with calligraphy executed in gold leaf. Beyond a prayer hall for several thousand worshippers, the complex incorporates a conference and exhibition hall and a multi-level underground car park.

Facts

• The mosque was inaugurated on 28 May 2021 in a ceremony attended by President Erdoğan after Friday prayers. en.wikipedia.org
• It holds 3,000 worshippers indoors and up to 4,000 including the outdoor area. tr.wikipedia.org
• The architects were Şefik Birkiye and Selim Dalaman, in a style described as 'Neo-Art Deco'. en.wikipedia.org
• In 1983 the Council of State halted the mosque project as 'not in the public interest'. en.wikipedia.org
• The mosque has two minarets 64.8 metres tall, and its outer dome rises to 33 metres. tr.wikipedia.org

Photographs

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• tr.wikipedia.org
• commons.wikimedia.org
• Google Maps