Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Mosque — Minaret and Formwork

This project carries the records that best show what minaret work actually is. Beginning in October 2017 with the reinforcement cage of the base, the job continued into November with the erection of the şerefe formwork; the photographs document each stage with its date.

The minaret was placed against a modern campus mosque with a wide-span, copper-clad dome. Striking a balance between the building’s contemporary lines and the classical proportions of a minaret depended on choosing the base height and the shaft taper correctly.

From base to şerefe, stage by stage

The sequence of minaret construction is the same on every project; what makes the difference is the quality of the formwork and the dimensional control.

• October 2017 — erection of the base reinforcement cage and the anchor connections
• October 2017 — the base formwork supported on timber scaffold, and the pour
• November 2017 — the shaft raised stage by stage
• November 2017 — the şerefe formwork erected on the timber scaffold
• Placing the şerefe reinforcement and preparing for the pour

Why the şerefe formwork is the hardest piece

The şerefe is a cantilever projecting out from the shaft. Its formwork has to carry not only the concrete pressure but its own weight and the worker standing on it. A timber scaffold is therefore banded around the shaft and the şerefe form seated on that band. At the same time the muqarnas negatives and the balustrade openings are positioned inside the form — once it has been poured there is no chance to correct it.

Fitting the campus mosque

The mosque departs from the classical plan with its wide-span reinforced-concrete shell and copper-clad dome. The minaret standing against that building was resolved by aligning the base section with the vertical lines of the mosque facade.