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Istanbul, Turkey – Thousands of worshipers gathered on Friday in central Taksim Square in Istanbul as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan imposed a new and controversial mosque.
Opening Since the 1950s, various governments have long fulfilled an ambition to build a place of worship in the square, often thought of as a symbol of the founding father of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The inauguration also coincided with the anniversary of the massive anti-government protests that began in the nearby Gezi Park on May 28, 2013, due to government construction plans.
The screens on the square showed the first prayers of the mosque, which appeared on a bronze and marble statue depicted by Ataturk, while the worshipers sat on paper prayer strips to throw worshipers.
While city workers were handing out masks and sanitizers, there was a small social distance among the crowded crowd – even though Turkey has recently emerged from the most stringent closure of COVID-19.
Erdogan’s arrival received applause as he waved to people before stepping inside.
“We have been waiting for this mosque for a long time,” Mehmet Ali Karahacioglu, 68, told Al Jazeera.
“It simply came to our notice then. He is a special man to me. Taksim Square has a very beautiful view right now – I wish I could have built this mosque 50 years ago, ”he said.
In a speech, Erdogan said he hoped “our city will be lit like an oil lamp for centuries.”
Thousands of people attended the inauguration [Emre Caylak/Al Jazeera]
Taksim is the focal point of life on the European side of Istanbul. Istiklal connects with the main shopping street and usually walks with shoppers, tourists, staff and partygoers.
The area was inhabited by religious and ethnic minorities from Istanbul during the Ottoman era and is surrounded by several churches, including the largest Greek Orthodox church in the city, but few large mosques.
“We didn’t have enough mosques here, so it’s good,” said Canan Kurtoglu, 53, who went to pray and work for the subcontractor who built the mosque’s doors.
For critics, however, the 28-meter-wide dome of the new landmark and two minarets on top of the square show Erdogan, whose Justice and Development (AK) party has been in power since 2002, dominating the religious and conservative imposing area.
Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish research program at the Washington Institute of Middle East Policy, said on Twitter “taking care of large symbolic mosques in his hometown … Erdogan’s decision to leave his indelible mark on Turkey appears.”
Protecting the great symbolic mosques in his hometown — he now has 3 “Erdogan” mosques, including the new Taksim Mosque, which faces and re-shapes the central Taksim Square in Istanbul — Erdogan seems determined to leave his indelible mark on Turkey. #SultaninAutumn https://t.co/ThppVh9yH7
– Soner Cagaptay (@SonerCagaptay) May 28, 2021
Arrow park protests
Erdogan has been pushing for the establishment of a mosque since he became mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s. However, the plans were thwarted in 1997 as a result of military intervention that removed the Islamist government from office and some legal and public struggles.
In a speech following the inaugural prayers, Erdogan blamed Gezi’s protests for not carrying out the mosque project earlier, citing that it was “the moment when these terrorists were against us”.
The arrow protests were Erdogan’s intention to build a shopping center designed as a Ottoman-era barracks in a strange green area nearby, but a harsh police response saw it spread across the country during months of unrest.
Construction of the mosque finally began in 2017. The new 2,250-capacity mosque also reportedly has an exhibition hall, library, soup and parking.
It is the third major religious landmark recently erected by Erdogan in the city.
The huge Camlica Mosque, which overlooks the city towards Asia, opened in March 2019.
The 1,400-year-old Hagia Sophia, which was originally a church before being converted into an Ottoman-controlled mosque and later the Ataturk-dependent museum, was converted into a mosque last year.
Canan Kurtoglu taking a picture in Taksim Square [Emre Caylak/Al Jazeera]
On the other side of the mosque square was the Ataturk Cultural Center, a 1960s building where Protesters Arrows hung banners in 2013 but demolished in 2019.
The building will now be replaced by a new Ataturk Cultural Center, which will house an opera house, exhibition halls, cafes and restaurants.
“Erdogan has just built this mosque for political reasons,” said Can Aksoy, a 40-year-old actor who grew up and lives in the area.
“He built it in front of the House of Culture because he can show his power.”
The women attend the inauguration of the Taksim Mosque [Emre Caylak/Al Jazeera]
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