Kocatepe Camii, Ankara, Turkey

Okay, back to the Turkey posts. One of the landmarks of Ankara is the Kocatepe Camii, which is the largest and newest mosque in Ankara. It is situated on the Kocatepe Hill and the admission is free.



It is built after the traditional Ottoman style and was completed in 1987. The interior was similar in style to the Blue Mosque...as far as I can tell. It has a huge globe chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall.



It is a functioning mosque, like the Blue Mosque. When we went there, a few tourists were about and some of the locals were praying. I prefer this atmosphere, where you are not suffocated by the crowd. The place feels peaceful.



A close up of the globe chandelier and the ornamented ceiling. Besides the huge chandelier, the mosque is decorated with marble, gold leaves, glass stained windows and decorative tiles.



But the best part about the Kocatepe Camii is that underneath the mosque, in the huge basement, there is this superstore or supermarket! Cool or what?



We explored the supermarket and then went up to see the Camii. For the ladies, please remember to bring your scarves to cover your hair.