Taksim Mosque

Coordinates: 41°02′13″N 28°59′02″E / 41.037°N 28.984°E / 41.037; 28.984
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Taksim Mosque
Taksim Camii
Taksim Mosque in May 2021
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
LocationTaksim Square, Beyoğlu, Istanbul
Taksim Mosque is located in Istanbul Fatih
Taksim Mosque
Shown within Istanbul Fatih
Geographic coordinates41°02′13″N 28°59′02″E / 41.037°N 28.984°E / 41.037; 28.984
Architecture
Architect(s)Şefik Birkiye, Selim Dalaman
StyleNeo-Art Deco[1]
Completed28 May 2021; 2 years ago (2021-05-28)
Specifications
Capacity3,000 people indoors, 4,000 in total[2]
Length20.70 m (67.9 ft) (building height above the ground)[3]
Dome height (outer)33 m (108 ft)[2]
Dome height (inner)9.6 m (31 ft)[4]
Dome dia. (outer)28 m (92 ft)[5]
Minaret(s)2
Minaret height64.8 m (213 ft)[2]

Taksim Mosque (Turkish: Taksim Camii) is a mosque complex in Taksim Square, Istanbul. It was designed by two Turkish architects in the Art Deco style,[6][7][8] and can hold up to 3,000 worshippers at the same time. Construction began on February 17, 2017, and lasted for four years.[9] The mosque was inaugurated with a Friday prayer attended by the President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on 28 May 2021.[10]

The land on which the mosque was built is currently owned by the Directorate General of Foundations.[11][9]

History[edit]

The plan for a mosque in Taksim Square has been in the making since 1952. The "Taksim Mosque Building and Sustenance Association" was founded with the aim to construct a mosque in Taksim Square, but was closed after the 1980 military coup in Turkey. The Council of State stopped the Taksim Mosque project in 1983 on the grounds that it was "not in the public interest".[9]

The Taksim Mosque remained on the agenda of the governments of Turgut Özal in the 1980s and Necmettin Erbakan in 1996. The project has always been closely scrutinized by the media and has encountered legal obstacles because Taksim Square had been closely associated with republicanism and secularism. A court objected to the construction of the mosque on the grounds that it would be against the public interest. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had supported the idea of the mosque since becoming Istanbul's mayor in 1994. The prospect of the new mosque was one element in the Gezi Park protests in 2013.[12]

In January 2017, the mosque was approved by the Cultural Monuments Preservation Board, which oversees the construction of protected, historic sites, thereby removing the last obstacle to its construction.

Construction process[edit]

Following approval for the construction of the mosque by the Istanbul #2 Regional Council for the Protection of Cultural Heritage on January 19, 2017, it was announced that some small offices and facilities would be demolished.[13] Site preparations started on February 9, 2017.[14] Ahmet Misbah Demircan, the Mayor of Beyoğlu District, named Şefik Birkiye the architect of the mosque on February 10, 2017; Sur Yapı was contracted to carry out its construction.

Location[edit]

The mosque is located just behind Taksim Maksemi, the stone water storage unit built by Mahmud I in 1731. The mosque faces the Atatürk Cultural Center across Taksim Square. The pedestrian shopping street, Istiklal Caddesi, runs off Taksim Square beside the mosque. The Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church is on the other side of Istiklal Street from the mosque.

Architectural features[edit]

Excluding the two minarets, the mosque's height is approximately 30 m (98 ft), making it the same height as the two historical churches in the vicinity. The mosque has been designed in a modern take on the traditional domed style associated with Sinan and has been cleverly tailored to fit its confined setting. The complex includes a conference and exhibition hall and an underground parking garage.[11]

The mosque's design contains details that are not found in classical Ottoman Turkish architecture, such as the shape and proportion of the oversized balconies on the minarets. The smaller cupolas surrounding the main dome are reminiscent of Mughal architecture in terms of design.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Taksim Meydanına yapılacak caminin fotoğrafları ortaya çıktı". İhlas News Agency. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Taksim'e yapılan ve bugün açılacak cami birçok yeniliği barındırıyor". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Proje ortaya çıktı! İşte cami yapılınca Taksim'in görünüşü". HaberTürk. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Taksim Camii hakkında tüm gelişmeler". Hürriyet. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Taksim Camii yarın açılıyor". TRT Haber. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  6. ^ Limited, Alamy. "ISTANBUL, TURKEY. An art deco building in the former banking district of Karakoy Stock Photo - Alamy". www.alamy.com. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  7. ^ "Mosque plan for Istanbul's Taksim Square approved by cultural protection board - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  8. ^ Sabah, Daily (2021-05-28). "Istanbul's Taksim Mosque opens after decades of legal wrangling". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  9. ^ a b c SABAH, DAILY (2021-04-19). "Mosque to finally be unveiled in Istanbul's Taksim Square". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  10. ^ "Erdoğan opens controversial mosque on Gezi Park protest anniversary". the Guardian. 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  11. ^ a b "Taksim mosque construction nears completion, set to open in Ramadan - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  12. ^ "Taksim Square: Erdogan inaugurates controversial mosque in Istanbul". BBC. 29 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Taksim'e Yapılacak Caminin Şantiyesi Kuruluyor" (in Turkish). Arkitera. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Taksim'deki cami alanında şantiye hazırlıklarına başlandı". Hürriyet Gazetesi. Retrieved 18 February 2017.

External links[edit]

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