Aksa Cami

Aksa Camii bears the beloved name of al-Aqṣā, the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem whose Farthest Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and the first qibla to which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the early Muslim community turned in prayer before the revelation of the verse directing them to turn toward the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. The Qur'an refers to Masjid al-Aqṣā in the opening verse of Sūrat al-Isrāʾ as the destination of the Prophet's miraculous Night Journey, and its precincts remain a place of longing, love, and prayer for Muslims throughout the world. To name a mosque Aksa in Turkish is therefore to keep the memory of Jerusalem alive in the daily worship of an ordinary Anatolian neighbourhood — a small but significant gesture of solidarity with the great sanctuary and with its beleaguered Muslim community. The Mamak mosque bearing this name is a neighbourhood structure of considered design, with a single minaret, a central dome, and a well-kept forecourt. Inside, the prayer hall is carpeted in warm tones, and the mihrab is carefully finished with Kütahya tile. Calligraphic panels along the walls include verses relating to al-Aqṣā, and a framed image of the Noble Sanctuary is often displayed in a visible location. The imam's Friday sermons frequently touch on the theme of Jerusalem and the obligations of the Muslim community toward its sanctuaries, particularly in the present age. Women pray in an upper gallery, and Qur'an classes for children run throughout the year. Ablution facilities are clean and heated. During Ramadan the mosque runs a full programme of tarawih, and the 27th of Rajab — the night of Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj — is observed with particular care. The mosque's Qur'an recitation circles during the last ten nights of Ramadan include special extended sessions focused on the verses of Sūrat al-Isrāʾ, and the whispered beauty of those verses recited in a hall dedicated to the memory of the Farthest Mosque is among the most affecting devotional experiences in the Ankara religious calendar for worshippers who attend. For Muslim visitors to Mamak, Aksa Camii is a quietly moving place to pray, and its name is an enduring reminder that the three sacred mosques of Islam are inseparable in the love of every believer.