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, and can hold up to 3,000 worshippers at the same time. Construction began on February 17, 2017, and lasted for four years. The mosque was inaugurated with a Friday prayer attended by the President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , on 28 May 2021.
14-644: The land on which the mosque was built is currently owned by the Directorate General of Foundations . 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
28-516: A conference and exhibition hall and an underground parking garage. 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. Directorate General of Foundations (Turkey) The Directorate General of Foundations ( Turkish : Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü ), founded 3 March 1924,
42-683: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ministry of Sharia and the Foundations Ministry of Sharia and the Foundations ( Turkish : Şerriye ve Evkaf Vekaleti ) was a former government ministry in the Ottoman Empire and the early history of the Republic of Turkey . The ministry was the highest religious authority and was responsible for the waqfs ( inalienable charitable endowments under Islamic law ). The ministry
56-672: Is a Turkish governmental institution that manages and audits waqfs (Turkish: vakıf ) (an inalienable charitable endowments under Islamic law ) dating back to the Ottoman Empire and that still exist today. The establishment of the Vakıflar was part of Atatürk's Reforms . It was established under the authority of Prime Minister of Turkey , İsmet İnönü on 3 March 1924, alongside the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Turkish: Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı ). These two departments replaced
70-403: Is on the other side of Istiklal Street from the mosque. 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
84-780: The Ottoman era ministry with the responsibility of governing Islamic affairs, the Ministry of Sharia and the Foundations ( Şerriye ve Evkaf Vekaleti ). This ministry had survived the Turkish War of Independence into the Republican era and the 1st government of Turkey . Aside from its stated responsibilities, a secondary aim was to enable the confiscation by the state of properties belonging to traditionally non-Muslim minorities (such as Jews , Greeks , and Armenians ) by transferring such properties into foundations so that they could be placed under
98-459: The Prime Minister of Turkey : the " Directorate of Religious Affairs " ( Turkish : Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı ) and the " General Directorate of the Foundations " ( Turkish : Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü ) to take on the responsibilities of the former ministry. Up to the enactment of this law, the responsibility of education system, which was partially managed by this ministry and partially by
112-666: The administration of the Vakıflar. However, starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the VGM would frequently seize and dispose of real-estate assets belonging to religious minorities on the basis of dubious court decisions. A notable example of this was the confiscation of the Tuzla Armenian Children's Camp in 1984. The directorate manages the estates and restorations of around 18,500 historical buildings and 67,000 estates. The directorate employs about 38,000 people. It also handles charity organisations, such as food or monetary support, based on
126-644: The charters of the managed foundations. Currently, actions of 4,500 foundations are audited by the directorate. As of March 2017 the Directorate General of Foundations has a 58.5% share stake in VakıfBank In May 2017, reports emerged that the Turkish government was considering a draft law to transfer that 58.5 percent stake, worth around $ 2.5 billion, to Vakıf Katılım Bankası because it is sharia-compliant . This article about an organisation in Turkey
140-450: The grounds that it was "not in the public interest". 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
154-562: The last obstacle to its construction. 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. Site preparations started on February 9, 2017. Ahmet Misbah Demircan, the Mayor of Beyoğlu District, named Şefik Birkiye the architect of
SECTION 10
#1733092500347168-469: The mosque on February 10, 2017; Sur Yapı was contracted to carry out its construction. 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
182-566: 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. In January 2017, the mosque was approved by the Cultural Monuments Preservation Board , which oversees the construction of protected, historic sites, thereby removing
196-612: Was established during the Ottoman era. During the early days of the Turkish Republic, it was also a ministry of Turkey. In all five governments before the Republic and the 1st government of Turkey after the proclamation of the Republic there was always a seat of the Ministry of Sharia and the Foundations in the government. However, on 3 March 1924, by the law no. 429, it was abolished. Instead, two general directorates were established under
#346653