Turkey has opened a new mosque in Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, with thousands of worshippers in attendance.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the imposing landmark which eclipsed the nearby statue of modern Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The Taksim Mosque lies next to the public space in the square which has been seen as a symbol of Turkey’s secularism.
‘GIFT OF CONQUEST OF ISTANBUL ANNIVERSARY’
Its size dwarfs nearby, small Ottoman-era mosques and it has a capacity that allows 4,000 people to perform prayers at the same time.
The inauguration also coincided with the anniversary of massive anti-government protests.
Thousands demonstrated against government construction plans at a nearby Gezi Park on May 28, 2013.
“Taksim Mosque, which is one of the distinguished projects both in Turkey and the world in terms of its harmony with the historical Beyoglu as well as its engineering method, has already taken its unique place among the symbols of Istanbul,” said Erdogan.
He said the mosque will also be one of the most important centers of culture and arts in Istanbul with its digital library as well as its areas of reading, resting, and exhibition.
“I see Taksim Mosque as a greeting sent to Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, which we opened a short while ago, and a gift on the 568th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, which we will mark tomorrow,” added Erdogan.
Taksim is the focal point of life on the European side of Istanbul – it connects with the main shopping street, Istiklal, and typically buzzes with shoppers, tourists, workers, and partygoers.
OPPOSITION FROM SECULAR ELITE
The area was home to Istanbul’s religious and ethnic minorities during the Ottoman era.
There are several churches in the vicinity, including the city’s largest Greek Orthodox church, but few large mosques.
Critics say the new landmark is an effort by Erdogan to impose a religious and conservative dominance over the area.
But Taksim Mosque, originally planned to be constructed in the 1950s, hit snags over the years, from lack of funding to opposition by authorities.
Erdogan himself was a member of a foundation set up in the 1990s to build the mosque and during his tenure as Istanbul’s mayor in that decade, he had voiced his desire to build it.
Any attempts to build the mosque were quashed by past governments.
It faced fierce opposition from the secular elite that argued it was an act of “Islamization,” despite high demand from practicing Muslims.
