The Taksim Mosque Returns

Proposal for mosque, via Hurriyet Daily News

There were debates about this in the 1990s, but this is the first I've heard of this recently. According to the report in Hurriyet Daily News, the courts have turned down a challenge to plans to build a mosque in Taksim. The head of the TMMOB -- or the Turkish Chamber of Architects -- had strong words in critique of the project:

“It is clearly understood that any debate sparked around religious issues makes profit on the political scene. It is not ethical at all to justify a wrongly placed structure just because it will be a sacred space when it is completed. This is against science, law and even religion itself,” Eyüp Muhçu, chairman of the architects’ chamber told the Daily News in a phone interview yesterday.

What interests me most is the way that history and demographics get wrapped up in the discussion:

The courts ruling said a mosque in Istanbul’s central square was now a necessity, due to the changing nature of the Muslim population which has occupied it during the first years of the Republic.

“There is an obvious need for mosques in Taksim [as] people were forced to pray on the streets on Fridays. The project would have no negative effects on the public,” the court’s statement read.  

Of course, it would be interesting to ask why that population has changed; and then the way that the 'Muslim-ness' of the population is taken as a self-evident justification for the mosque's construction. While I haven't read the court's decision, it seems interesting that there isn't any discussion concerning how the mosque will look relative to the rest of the neighborhood. If the rendering above is any guide, this mosque would be a fairly massive addition to the neighborhood; and one can only think that that's part of the project: After all, if Taksim is one of the central places through which people form their image of Istanbul, adding this mosque might change how Taksim is seen.

[Updated] Quickly adding a few things, there are also news stories in Vatan and Milliyet. Milliyet adds a bit more from the court decision:

“Osmanlı devletinden bu yana Beyoğlu-Pera bölgesi İstanbul gayrimüslümlerin yaşam ve ticaret mekanı olarak gelişti. Bu yörede batıdan esinlenmiş bir mimari üslup egemendi. Taksim ve İstiklal Caddesi çevrelerine görkemli elçilikler, konsolosluklar, kiliseler, sinogoglar ve benzeri 14 adet kilise ve havra inşa edildi. Eskiden bölgede Müslüman nüfusun sınırlı olması nedeniyle cami sayısı çok az ve çok küçük ölçekteydi. Beyoğlu-Şişhane-Tarlabaşı-İstiklal Caddesi çevresinde 1 adet cami ile 1 adet mescid vardı. Bölgenin nüfus yapısı son 100 yılda ciddi şekilde değişti. Müslüman ve gayrimüslim nüfus oranları tamamen tersine döndü. Bu bölgede çalışan ve yaşayan nüfusun yüzde 95 civarındaki kısmı Müslüman nüfustan oluşuyor. Nüfus yapısı Cumhuriyet döneminde esaslı şekilde değişen Beyoğlu-Pera bölgesinde son 100 yılda herhangi bir cami inşa edilmedi. Buna karşılık Taksim Kışlası ile birlikte kışla içinde bulunan cami de yıkıldı. Günde 2 milyon civarında  hareketli ve sabit nüfusun bulunduğu bölgede her türlü iklim şartlarında özellikle Cuma günleri sokak, cadde ve toprak üzerinde ibadet ediliyor. Bu da hem gürültü kirliliğine sebep oluyor hem de ibadet edenlere eziyet veriyor.”

But further, what this also brings up is a larger question about how cities should change. As the judgment stresses, and as most everyone would agree, Istanbul -- both its people and its buildings -- have changed dramatically over the past 100 years. To what extent should the city's present functions respond to or somehow address those changes?

And while certainly not representative, it's interesting to see some of the comments:

yuh be kardeşim her adımda cami var, ayrıca taksime gelen insan da ibadet için gelmiyor ki eğlenmek için geliyor [Uf brother there's a mosque at every step, further people coming to Taksim aren't coming for worship, they're coming for enjoyment.]

And in contrast:

nedir bu cami, islam, din karşıtlığınız? aynı yere sinagog yapılsa "ne kadar dinlere saygılı bir ülkeyiz" diye göbek atarsınız. ama nüfusunun yüzde doksan beşi müslüman olan bir ülkede cami yaptırınca olay oluyor.. ilginç.. [What is your opposition to this mosque, to Islam? If a synagogue were built in the same place, you'd puff your chest, saying "We're a country so respectful of religions. But when a mosque is built in a country 95% of whose population is Muslim, there's an outcry. Interesting...]