Didn’t Ankara need a grand mosque? The Kocatepe Mosque is the largest mosque in Ankara. Its prominent situation has made it a landmark. It can be seen from almost anywhere in central Ankara.
The idea of building the Kocatepe Camii dates back to the 1940s. A society was established to build a mosque in Yenişehir. This society called for projects by architects. None were accepted. In 1956, land was allocated to build a mosque in Ankara. A request for projects was made again in 1957.
Thirty-six projects were evaluated. The joint project of Vedat Dalokay and Nejat Tekelioğlu was chosen. The accepted project was an innovative and modern design. Construction started but was stopped at the foundation level. Conservatives heavily critiqued its modernist look. Vedat Dalokay later built a modified version of the Kocatepe Mosque. He won an international competition for the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.
After a third architectural competition in 1967, a more conservative design was chosen. Hüsrev Tayla and M. Fatin Uluengin designed it. The Kocatepe Mosque was completed in 1987. It was built in a neo-classical Ottoman architectural style. It was inspired by the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. It also took inspiration from the Shehzade and Sultan Ahmet mosques in Istanbul. These mosques were influenced by the Eastern Roman architecture of the Hagia Sophia.
The Kocatepe Mosque accommodates up to 24000 worshipers. It is one of the largest mosques in the world. The mosque has four minarets. Each minaret stands 88 meters high. This mosque is a key part of the Ankara City Beautification Project.
Different color temperatures of white light were used to highlight the building’s architectural details. Warm, neutral and cool white light provides a comfortable and dynamic lighting ambiance. It keeps the area safe and illuminated for visitors. iW Blast Powercore and iW Reach Powercore gen2 luminaires were mounted around the window frames, minarets and rooftop. iW Graze Powercore luminaires highlight the structure and window frames. The lighting solution provides ten different color temperatures. These range from warm to cool white. They highlight the magnificent architecture of the Kocatepe Mosque.
The new LED lighting makes it an enjoyable place to be after dark. The Kocatepe Mosque is now beautifully illuminated. It creates a safe and comfortable atmosphere for visitors at night.