A Room with a View: Women Take the Lead in Turkish Mosque

By Farrah Hamid

July 20, 2009

The new Sakirin Mosque in Istanbul has a unique touch to it – it is the first mosque to be made by a team of mostly women. For centuries, women have typically taken a back seat in Muslim halls of worship. Even now, men and women are usually kept segregated during prayers, often causing cramped prayer spaces for women compared to those of men. The Sakirin Mosque changes the game.

Unlike many other mosques, the Sakirin Mosque comes with a worship room solely for women, with a balcony that allows them to view the vast intricacies of the entire mosque. Usually, men pray in the main halls, while women are in a back room or annex.

The design team for the Sakirin Mosque was led by Zeynep Fadillioglu, who had been designing nightclubs and restaurants in Turkey since 1995. In an interview with CNN, Fadillioglu stated, “I want people to feel peaceful and be left with themselves as much as possible and yet have beautiful art and artistic symbolism around them.”

According to article, the building’s mihrab, the alcove that points worshippers in the direction of Mecca, is made of asymmetrical ovals, and the chandelier is a multi-layered series of metal and plexiglass rings, carrying Quranic inscriptions and made of delicate glass teardrops.

Muslim prayer halls are increasingly taking center stage as another point of contention in Islam’s ever-evolving public image. Recently, Pakistani documentary filmmaker Asra Nomani came under intense heat for her film, “The Mosque in Morgantown,” which depicted her fight for women to not just have the right to pray in the main hall of the mosque in question, but also pray amidst men. Nomani faces intense criticism for her efforts, from leading Muslim organizations, to even her own female peers.

Whether criticized or applauded, the film and the new venture from the team in Turkey showcase just how empowered Muslim women are to take an active role in their societies. The stunning pictures of the mosque can be seen above and on CNN, and information on Asra Nomani’s documentary is available on: http://www.themosqueinmorgantown.com.

Photos by Cristi Carlstead