New Istanbul mosque becomes largest in Turkey

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s largest and newest mosque was officially inaugurated Friday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Construction on the Camlica Mosque Complex began in 2013 and has a capacity of 63,000 worshippers.

Having a combination of Ottoman and Seljuk architectural style, the gigantic mosque on Istanbul's Asian side is now one of the symbols of the city.

The structure has may nods to the city and country. It sports six minarets representing six key aspects of Islamic belief including, the belief in one God, the prophets, angels, revealed books, the day of judgment and divine decree.

Four of the minarets stand 107.1 meters (352 feet) tall, an acknowledgement to the Seljuk Turks' victory in eastern Turkey at Manzikert in 1071 against the Byzantine army which opened Anatolia to Turkish settlement.

The central dome hangs 72 meters (236 feet) above the ground, representing the 72 nations living in the city. The second dome, with a diameter of 34 meters (112 feet) -- Istanbul's official license number.

Sixteen names of Allah are inscribed on the inner walls of the dome, symbolizing the number of states founded by Turks throughout history.

And a three-piece finial sits on the main dome, weighing 4.5 tons at a height of 7.77 meters (25 feet) it is the largest of its kind in Turkey.

Camlica Mosque Complex has indoor parking available for 3,500 vehicles.

The previous Turkish record holder in capacity was a mosque in the southern province of Adana.

Opened in 1998, Sabanci Central Mosque can host 28,500 worshippers and was built jointly by Turkish Religious Foundation and Sabanci Foundation.

The mosque received its name from a famous wealthy Turkish family, Sabanci. Sabanci Holding, an industrial and financial conglomerate, has been doing business in finance, energy, cement, retail and industrials.

Forbes magazine lists its value at $4.7 billion.

The third biggest mosque in Turkey is in the country’s capital.

Built in a neo-classical Ottoman architecture style, the Kocatepe Mosque, the largest mosque in Ankara -- can accommodate 24,000 worshippers and is visible from the most parts of the city.

This mosque has been operating since 1987.

- Turkey's top 10 largest mosques by capacities: