Istanbul's focal point

While Taksim Mosque connects Istiklal Street, one of the busiest arteries of Istanbul, and Tarlabaşı Boulevard, it nourishes this place with the social areas which it contains. In addition, the mosque, which gives a qualified silhouette to Taksim Square perimeter with its stone and precast cladding facades and titanium zinc alloy coated domes, can be entered from all facades of the mosque. In this way, it creates a focal point in the triangle of Taksim Square, Istiklal Street and Tarlabaşı Boulevard.

Seljuk, Ottoman, Byzantine and Anatolian architecture

Taksim Square was especially taken into consideration in the construction of Taksim Mosque. Maksem building in front of the mosque is a water tank built during the reign of Mahmud I. While the whole project is planned in accordance with this historical monument, this part is positioned like a skirt of the mosque facing the square. The color of the outside stone, the color of the old Khorasan mortar inside the stone, the texture of the stone; the materials used in Seljuk, Ottoman, Byzantine and Anatolian architecture were structured by modernizing them and bringing them closer to color tones. In Islamic architecture, classical mosque architectural forms, space and dome understandings, developed by the Seljuk and Ottomans, especially after the conquest of Istanbul, by the influence of Hagia Sophia and culminating with Architect Sinan, were interpreted in a modernized style. In addition, an original design was created by using a piece of the architectural understanding that dominated Beyoğlu in the 19th century. When viewed from the opposite side, the eaves of Maksem, the wall of Maksem, the windows placed on it, an upper eaves, the figures descending there, the dome, the void, the stone and the alloy of all these, titanium and zinc. The color of the coatings is not exactly the color of zinc, but green. The marbles used on the façades of Taksim Mosque, where the dome and roof covering are made with a 3,000 square meter titanium zinc alloy, consist of Emparador Light stones selected from Bursa quarries and Aero Cream stones selected from Isparta quarries.

The dome has a height of 33 meters

The design of the mihrab, pulpit and minbar is designed by Architect Z. Altan Elmas as a modern interpretation of traditional forms, and Asma-ul-Husna in the design of the mihrab bears the signature of calligrapher Davut Bektaş. While traditional calligraphy applications were preferred in the interior architecture of Taksim Mosque, where Naht Technique was used in its interior decorations and calligraphy applications, the colors were slightly changed. Green, burgundy and black are the main colors as the calligraphy ground. Instead of burgundy, a red brown burgundy intermediate color was used. This color is also found in the dome hill, pulley and Ciharyâr-ı Güzin (four great caliphs) writings on the hill. There is paint and original 24 carat gold leaf on the writing parts of all letters made of wood cut by hand in accordance with the floor templates. Taksim Mosque, whose minarets are 64 meters high, has a dome 33 meters high and there is another dome inside.

The only mosque where Top-Down system is used

The implementation of the Top-Down method, which is one of the few applications in terms of engineering used in the construction of the Taksim Mosque, where the construction process took four years, was preferred because Taksim is a strategic point. With this system, the construction was started from middle without making foundation. As the top of the middle was built, it was simultaneously descended towards the foundation. In the last part, concrete of foundation and the large dome of the mosque was poured and completed at the same time. Thanks to this method, which allows the construction to start from the middle of the building and complete the top and bottom simultaneously, no damage was done to the square, surrounding buildings and roads without deep well excavation.

4,000 people can pray.

When the project is examined in the light of numerical data; It has a land area of 2 thousand 482 square meters and a construction area of approximately 16 thousand square meters. There is an area of 2 thousand 950 square meters where prayers can be performed with a 163-car parking garage. In the mosque, 3 thousand people can pray at the same time indoor prayer area, and the number of people who can perform funeral prayer in the outer courtyard is 2,400. In the project, 465 square meters are reserved for women, and 620 women will be able to pray together. The total indoor and outdoor prayer capacity of the mosque is 4 thousand people.

The mosque embraces everyone with its socio-cultural areas

Taksim Mosque provides integrity with Beyoğlu-Taksim in terms of its architecture and texture. The mosque was consisted with a suitable architectural language for the texture of its location. Our traditional mosque forms were interpreted with modern lines and materials, and Taksim Mosque was built with an original design inspired by the 19th century Beyoğlu architecture.

Another important point is that Taksim is a cosmopolitan location that hosts thousands of people from different languages, religions and races. Thus the mosque is a place both worship and visit. The mosque also has a cultural center where everyone can come together with culture and art, benefit from the bookstore, read books in its cafe, relax, and hold exhibitions.

Taksim Mosque in Numbers

Land area: 2 thousand 482.46m²

Total Construction Area (m²): 16220,00 m²

Dome Diameter: 24.5 m

Dome Height: 33.00 m

Number of Minarets: 2 (with 2 balconies)

Minaret Height: 64.80 m

Car Park Area: 10 thousand m² - 165 cars, 4 Car Park

Indoor - Outdoor Worship Area: 4.000 people (3000 indoor - 1000 outdoor)

The number of people who can perform the funeral prayer in the outer courtyard: 2 thousand 400 people

Worship Area for Women: 465 m² / 620 women

Ablution Area for Men: 40 units

Ablution Area for Women: 30 units

Total Ablution Area: 300 m²

Hall, Exhibition Hall, Library and Soup Kitchen Areas in Basement and Ground Floors: 1.800 m²

Social Areas

Multi-Purpose Hall: 812.00 m²

Soup Kitchen: 100.00 m²

Cafe: 310,00 m²

Bookstore: 155.00 m²

Land Information

Project Address: Beyoğlu

Island: 406

Map section: 11

Parcel: 23

Zoning Status: Mosque

Parcel Net Parcel Area (m²): 2482.46 m²

Building permit date (first date of receipt): 25.01.2017

Building permit (date of modification permit): 6.08.2018

Project Owner and Designers

Endower and Completer of the Construction: Elmas Family / Sur Yapı (Z. Altan Elmas, C. Hakan Elmas, Ufuk Elmas and Atilla Elmas)

Architectural Project Group and Designer: Vizzion Architecture - Architect Şefik Birkiye

Architectural Application and Project Group: Sur Yapı Architectural Group - Architect Z. Altan Elmas, Architect Belma Poturnak, Architect Serdar Turan and the project team

Architectural Concept Consultant: Konak Architecture - Architect Serkan Akın

Calligrapher: Davut Bektaş

Miniaturist: Adem Turan

Static Project Group: MPI

Mechanical Project Group: Meta Engineering

Electrical Project Group: Enproje Engineering

Soil Survey Firm: Geostar

Elevator Consultant: Bylift

Fire Consultant: Zeytin Consulting