Description of the attraction
The largest mosque in Ankara and one of the oldest Muslim buildings in the city is the Kocatepe Mosque. It was built in 1987 on a hill near Kyzylai Square. The construction of the complex was carried out according to the drawings of the architect-planner Khusrev Taylan, and took about 19 years (1964-1986). This new symbol of Islam was modeled on the Sultan's mosques in Sinan. The architectural decoration of the mosque was also carried out in the classical Ottoman style.
The area of the mosque is 4288 square meters (64 × 67), the height (main dome) is 48.5 meters, the diameter of the dome is 25.5 meters. The huge dome and four high minarets, directed upwards, each of which is 88 meters high, are visible from afar. They can be a great reference point when walking around the southern part of Ankara city center. Domes and minarets are decorated with gilded crescents.
It is immediately clear that no money was spared for the construction of the mosque: the inside of the mosque is decorated with stained glass windows and gold plates, huge crystal chandeliers, decorative tiles, and is also decorated with marble. In the center of it is a model of the Mescid-I Nebevi mosque, located in Medina. Modeled was presented in 1993 by the King of Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz to Turkish President Demirel.
The architectural complex of Kocatepe consists of the mosque itself, a library, a conference center and a covered parking lot. In its underground premises there are tea houses and one of the largest supermarkets in the city.
