A mosque with the world's highest minaret is under construction in
Istanbul. Critics of the project say it was badly planned and fear it
represents a step towards a stronger Islamic influence in Turkey.
But in the near future, all eyes might be on the hill itself. This is the future site of a "huge" mosque that, when built, would be seen "from any point in Istanbul," according to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Construction of the controversial project started in March. According to the Turkish newspaper "Today's Zaman," the property will be a 15,000 square meters (161460 square feet), or more than 2,000 soccer fields. The construction costs are estimated to be 43 million euros ($57.4 million) and the mosque will have space for some 30,000 people.
"When it comes to size, the project is very demanding. We will build an even bigger dome than our ancestors," said Haci Mehmet Güner to the Turkish newspaper "Hürriyet." Erdogan recently named him the head architect of the mosque project. "The mosque will have the world's highest minaret; it will be even bigger than the 105-meter-high minaret of the Medina-i Munawara mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia."
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The highest point in Istanbul is Camlica Hill. At 288 meters, it can be seem from most vantage points throughout the city. On May 29, 2012 Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced: “We are going to build a mosque over 15,000 meters square next to the broadcasting tower in Camlica. The planning work is nearing completion. … This giant mosque in Camlica was designed so as to be visible from all parts of Istanbul.” According to a recent survey, however, the public appears to object to the decision to develop at this location.
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http://www.dw.com/en/mosque-construction-sparks-controversy-in-istanbul/a-17041396
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