Ankara Eşref Akıncı Mosque — Timber Mosque and Minaret

Eşref Akıncı Mosque departs from the classical domed scheme: a flat roof with wide eaves, a timber-columned entrance porch and a facade mixing stone and timber. In a building like that, the minaret should sit with the mass rather than assert itself.

The minaret was therefore built with a plain shaft, a single şerefe and decoration kept to a minimum. The light-coloured shaft was matched to the stone of the mosque and the dark cap to the roof covering.

Setting the proportion against the building

On a low-massed mosque, a minaret that is too slender makes the building look out of proportion. Here the shaft diameter and the şerefe level were set with reference to the eaves height of the mosque; the minaret stands not as an accessory beside the mass but as the vertical element that balances it.

The wide courtyard and landscaping

The mosque was designed together with a wide stone-paved courtyard and shaded areas. Because the minaret base sits at courtyard level, its height was adjusted so that the şerefe is seen at the right angle from the courtyard.