Taksim Mosque

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Taksim Mosque
Taksim Camii
Taksim monument and mosque.jpg
Taksim Mosque in May 2021
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
LocationTaksim Square, Beyoğlu, Istanbul
Architecture
Architect(s)Şefik Birkiye,
StyleNeo-Art Deco[1]
Completed28 May 2021; 7 months 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 at Taksim Square, Istanbul. It was designed by two Turkish architects in the art deco style, and the triple-story mosque can hold up to 3,000 worshippers at the same time. Construction began on February 17, 2017 and lasted for four years.[6] The mosque was inaugurated with a Friday prayer on 28 May 2021.[7]

History[]

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".[6]

The Taksim Mosque remained on the agenda in the governments of Turgut Özal in the 1980s and Necmettin Erbakan in 1996. The project has always been scrutinized by the media and has encountered legal obstacles. A court had previously objected to the construction of the mosque as it decided it would be against the public interest. It also sparked a wave of protests in 2013.[8] 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 the construction of the mosque. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the cause since becoming Istanbul’s mayor in 1994. The land on which the mosque was built is currently owned by the Directorate General of Foundations.[9][6]

Construction Process[]

Following the approval of 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 were going to be demolished.[10] Construction site preparations started on February 9, 2017.[11] Ahmet Misbah Demircan, the Mayor of Beyoğlu District, officially announced on February 10, 2017 that the architect of the project is Şefik Birkiye and that will undertake the construction of this project by covering the entire cost.

Location[]

The mosque is located just behind , which was built by Mahmud I in 1731. Located at the point where Istiklal Street opens to Taksim Square, the closest place of worship to this mosque is the Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church. The mosque is directly across from the since demolished Atatürk Cultural Center, with Taksim Square falling in the middle.

Architectural Features[]

Excluding the minarets, the mosque’s height is approximately 30 m (98 ft), the same as the two historical churches in the vicinity. The mosque complex includes a conference and exhibition hall and an underground parking garage.[9]

  • Taksim Mosque Dome.jpg
  • Taksim Mosque Mihrab.jpg
  • Taksim Mosque Minbar.jpg
  • Central Dome in Taksim Mosque.jpg
  • Dome of the Taksim Mosque.jpg

See also[]

References[]

  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. ^ a b c SABAH, DAILY (2021-04-19). "Mosque to finally be unveiled in Istanbul's Taksim Square". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  7. ^ "Taksim Camii'nde ilk cuma namazı". Habertürk (in Turkish). 28 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Taksim Square: Erdogan inaugurates controversial mosque in Istanbul". BBC. 29 May 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Taksim mosque construction nears completion, set to open in Ramadan - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  10. ^ "Taksim'e Yapılacak Caminin Şantiyesi Kuruluyor" (in Turkish). Arkitera. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Taksim'deki cami alanında şantiye hazırlıklarına başlandı". Hürriyet Gazetesi. Retrieved 18 February 2017.

Coordinates: 41°2′13.2″N 28°59′2.8″E / 41.037000°N 28.984111°E / 41.037000; 28.984111

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