Malatya · Kernek · 2022
Malatya Kernek Karagözlüler Mosque — Double-Şerefe Minarets
In brief
The minarets of Kernek Karagözlüler Mosque in Malatya were built with two şerefe each by Zahan İnşaat in 2022. The cream-toned shaft, the muqarnas şerefe (balcony) rings at both levels and the dark cap were chosen to read together with the stone-clad façade and the lead-toned domes of the mosque.
- Shaft
- Cream-toned, cylindrical
- Mosque
- Stone-clad façade, lead-toned domes
- Şerefe
- Double şerefe
- Location
- Kernek / Malatya
- Year built
- 2022
- Structure type
- Mosque minaret (two)
- Service line
- Minaret Construction
Kernek Karagözlüler Mosque carries a sober palette: a stone-clad façade and lead-toned domes. A bright white minaret would strike a hard contrast against that; the shafts were therefore finished in a cream tone and the four şerefe rings tuned to the same palette.
A second şerefe does more than lengthen a minaret. Because each one creates a discontinuity in the shaft section, the reinforcement is closer-spaced in those zones; and because the total height increases, wind loading and the seismic calculation are redone.
A colour decision is made from a distance
Minaret colour should be judged not up close but from across the street and against the city skyline. A sample board is hung on site, looked at through the day, and the decision made from that. Here the cream tone was chosen to soften the step between the stone façade and the lead-toned dome.
Dimensional consistency across two minarets
What matters with a pair of minarets is that the two read alike. The same set of formwork was used on both, and the şerefe levels were transferred from a common datum with a level. Seen from a distance, all four balcony rings stayed in line.
Site photographs
6 frames. Tap a photograph to enlarge it.
Frequently asked questions about this project
When is a double-şerefe minaret the right choice?
Two şerefe are both an architectural preference and a question of scale. On mosques with large congregations and broad massing, a single-şerefe minaret can look weak against the building. Against that, a second şerefe lengthens the formwork, scaffolding and labour periods; it is a visible line in the budget.
Can a minaret be built while the mosque is in use?
On this project the minarets rose together with the shell of the mosque. Where a minaret is added later to a mosque already open for worship, the working area is separated from the courtyard, the scaffold is sheeted, and work at height stops for the daily prayers.
Do you work in Malatya and eastern Anatolia?
Yes. Kernek Karagözlüler Mosque is among the works we have completed in the region. Because our formwork system and site crew are mobile, distance affects the cost only through freight and accommodation.
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