After more than a decade of planning, legal procedures and public debate, construction has officially begun on the Kadıköy Waterfront Mosque and Social Areas Project, one of Istanbul's most closely watched urban development projects.
The first excavation work started Monday at the site on Kadıköy's waterfront, where the mosque and community complex will be built on a nearly 30,000-square-meter plot overlooking the Marmara Sea.
Designed as more than a place of worship, the project aims to create a public space that combines religious, educational, cultural and social functions. Alongside the mosque, the complex will include classrooms, a library, art workshops, a conference hall and a soup kitchen.
The project also places an emphasis on sustainability. According to the project plans, the complex will generate part of its own electricity, collect and reuse rainwater, and make use of locally sourced and natural building materials.
Once completed, the mosque will accommodate up to 7,000 worshippers across its main prayer hall and surrounding portico areas. The design features a 44.5-meter-high (146 feet-high) central dome with a diameter of 25 meters, as well as two minarets measuring 90.85 meters and 78.12 meters in height. The site will also include parking facilities for more than 1,000 vehicles.
