Sabancı Mosque (Sabancı Merkez Camii)
Sabancı Mosque is located in the city of Adana, on the banks of the Seyhan River, and is the largest in Turkey. The enclosed area is 6,600 m² and the surrounding area is 52,600 m². Sabancı Mosque is able to accommodate 28,500 people. 4 of the 6 minarets rise 99 meters and the other two are 75 meters high. The main dome reaches a height of 54 meters and its diameter is 32 meters. Amazingly, this grandiose structure was built in less than a year. In 1998, Adana was hit by a massive earthquake that claimed lives and caused damage to the city. To support the residents of devastated Adana, the Religious Foundation of Turkey, as well as the Sabancı Foundation, founded by Turkish billionaire Sakıp Sabancı, provided funds for the construction. The Sabancı Mosque has become a kind of symbol of the city’s revival. It is located at the intersection of the main highways and roads of the city in such a way that the high minarets can be seen from almost anywhere in Adana. Sabancı is decorated in the classical style of Ottoman mosques. The exterior is similar to the Sultan Ahmet Mosque in Istanbul, while the interior decoration is similar to the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. The minarets are made of reinforced concrete obtained by mixing white cement and ivory-colored crushed stone. The author of the calligraphic works is calligrapher Hüseyin Kutlu. All the painting works as well as the tile models are by architect Nakas M. Semih. The wooden doors are made in Kundekari style, the colored glass is created by Abdulkadir Audin and the muqarnas are by Ali Turan. The entrance to Sabancı Mosque is made of marble. The complex is equipped with a radio system capable of broadcasting sermons to more than 275 mosques located within a radius of 60 kilometers. There is a large public library on the west side of the Sabancı Mosque. The building is located in a picturesque place on the bank of the river, next to a huge park with many green plantings and fountains, where you can spend a pleasant time.
