Turkish president to inaugurate mosque after Friday prayer
A mosque in Istanbul’s most popular square will be inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.
The ceremony will take place after the Friday prayer.
The foundation of the mosque, which bears the signatures of architects Sefik Birkiye and Selim Dalaman, was laid on Feb. 17, 2017 in Taksim Square.
The mosque can host a congregation of up to 2,250 people, and boasts a parking lot and conference and exhibition halls.
It is spread over 2,482 square meters (26,716 square feet) with nearly 16,500 sq. mt. (177,604 sq. ft.) of constructed area.
The prayer area has wooden wall panels.
It also features works of calligraphist Davut Bektas and miniaturist Adem Turan, with inscriptions from the Quran.
Buff-colored carpets specially woven in the western Manisa province are laid in the mosque, where six calligraphy plates hang with the names of Allah, Prophet Muhammad, and the four caliphs — Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali.
An 8.5 meter-high (nearly 28 ft.) mihrab (prayer niche showing the direction of Makkah) is built, while 60 luminous chandeliers — 12 mt. in diameter (over 39 ft.) and 20 mt. (over 65 ft.) in length — are also installed in the mosque.
