New Mosque Inaugurated in Istanbul after 3 Years of Construction
The foundation of the mosque was inspired by Süleymaniye Mosque, which is considered one of the most important examples of classical Ottoman architecture.
The mosque opened with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressing crowds of people following Friday prayers.
The mosque, spanning a surface of 7,000 square meters (44,291 square feet) was built on a plot measuring 18,500 square meters.
Upon its opening, Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque will offer a host of amenities such as a car park, a book cafe, a kindergarten, a digital visual arts hall and multi-purpose halls. Combining classic Ottoman architectural elements with modern techniques and nanotechnology, the mosque boasts a magnificent dome crafted from solid copper sheets, adorned with gold and silver accents reminiscent of the main dome of the country's largest Grand Çamlıca Mosque.
With a main dome diameter of 24 meters and a height of 44 meters, the mosque is surrounded by four minarets, two of which were built with a length of 79 meters and another two with a length of 92 meters.
The interior features works of the calligrapher Ferhat Kurlu, who inscribed verses of Surah Ibrahim from the Quran, highlighting the importance of water and sea. Similarly, with reference to the sea, miniature and illumination works, which include blue tones, were prepared by Mustafa Çelebi.
The "sea" themed blue carpets specially woven in western Manisa province have been laid in the mosque. The construction of inner parts, including a 13.5-meter-high mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Kaaba) and the preaching pedestal were completed as well. Similarly, the installation of doors inside the mosque and the large main door designed using Seljuk patterned techniques with a width of 5.9 meters and a height of 13 meters were completed.
Source: Anadolu Agency
