Sacred cave

If you want to visit the Sancaklar Mosque in Istanbul, you first have to ask around – or find a guide. It is located in the far west of the city, northwest of Atatürk Airport, in a new development area with many gated communities. Many members of the Sancak industrialist family, whose foundation made the construction of the mosque possible and gave it its name, live here.

Contrary to what the government and the religious institutions controlled by it would have us believe, the history of mosque construction in Turkey is by no means limited to a specific typology and certainly not to the dome mosque type – even if this undoubtedly represents an architectural highlight. There are hardly any liturgical or formal specifications for the building.

For Emre Arolat, the request from the Sancak family was an opportunity to think fundamentally about the typology of the mosque and to find a solution that would do justice to the location. As the terrain slopes steeply and at the same time offers a wide view of the landscape, the building site offered a number of incentives. But it was not only the topography that made it obvious to bury the prayer room of the new mosque in the ground – the story of the revelation given to the Prophet Mohamed in the Hira cave also forms a conceptual superstructure.

Step by step, the complex opens up through the large flight of steps leading from the parking lot into the courtyard. This opens up a magnificent view over the valley and the large lake. The green courtyard leads to the community center with library as well as the mosque itself. The toilets and the rooms for ablutions before the service are accessible through separate entrances shielded by slate walls. A small stream flows through the courtyard garden and forms small lakes, while a waterfall springs from a slate wall. The black stone, concrete surfaces and wooden walls define the design of the space – the green of the lawn forms a charming contrast. Two new trees have been planted and two old olive trees have been preserved.

Photos: Thomas Mayer

Read more in Baumeister 8/2015