Groundbreaking For Çamlıca Mosque Despite Ongoing Trial

Officials including PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a groundbreaking ceremony for Çamlıca Mosque in Istanbul. 

However, Architects Chamber and City Planners Chamber filed official complaints last year for the suspension of construction plans. 

Two chambers submitted a statement, saying that the construction plans will result the occupation and concretization of a public green space towards private usage (tourism) regardless of real need (for a mosque) in the surrounding area.  

The statement went on to claim that the construction plan violated Construction Law (Number 3194) and adjunct regulations “on the essences of plan constructions”, as well as Preservation of Cultural and Natural Resources Law (Number 2863), Regulations Regarding Construction in Preserved Area and basic principles of urbanism and city planning. It also concluded the prosecution was based on the violation of planning consistency, public profit and planning leveling principles. 

City’s silhouette and natural texture will be damaged 

Some of the highlights from the statement included: 

* Planning site will lead to the damage of natural texture in the Bosporus area which is a preserved site. 

* The construction will lead to the concretization of a natural area - a site that must be protected for the public good. It will also damage city’s silhouette. 

14 religious establishments around the area 

* There is no established population around the planned construction site. The surrounding area is not densely populated. Yet, there are already 14 religious establishments around the area. A 56-hectare mosque has definitely not been planned for the needs of surrounding populations. 

Mosque will house 37,000 visitors per service 

“Soon all transmission and TV towers will be removed in the area. We will turn a 250,000 square meter area into a green spot. And we will erect a a wonder that will mark among the most prominent temples of Islam,” Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar said at yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony. 

Spread within 3 cellars and on a total of 121,000 meter square area, the project will cost 131 million liras (52.4 million euros roughly). The mosque construction sits on a 15,045 meter square area. Some of the features the mosque will house are as follows: A dome with 70,45 meters in height and 34 meters in diameter, 6 minarets, capacity of 37,500 visitors per service, a conference hall of 1,000 people, a 2,750 meter square library, a 3,435 meter square art gallery, a 10,950 meter square museum, 8 workshop areas and other facilities. The mosque will also house parking spot for up to 3,040 vehicles. 

Contest determined project 

Previously, a competition has been launched to determine the architecture plan of the mosque. Runner up of the contest, the project of Bahar Mızrak and Hayriye Gül Totu from Turkuaz Yapı Mimarlık Firm was chosen for its “blending of tradition Turkish-Islam architecture styles and contemporary trends which will mark as a symbol of Anatolia’s face gazing the West and contribute to the silhouette of Istanbul”. The project has been tweaked by Mimar Sinan University and ITU architecture and city planning upon an order by PM Erdogan. (NV/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.