Feridun Çelik Mahallesi Süleymaniye Cami

Serving the Mamak district of the Turkish capital, Feridun Celik Mahallesi Suleymaniye Camii carries the name of its neighbourhood alongside that of the great Ottoman sultan Sulayman, whose architectural legacy inspired countless mosques across the former Ottoman lands. Ankara itself has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but it rose to world importance in 1923 when the new Turkish republic made it the national capital in place of Istanbul, and since then the city has grown outward from its ancient citadel into vast residential neighbourhoods, government districts, and university campuses. Mamak developed as a working class suburb on the eastern side of the city during the mid twentieth century, welcoming migrants from across Anatolia.
Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent, who reigned from 1520 to 1566, was known in Europe for the splendour of his court but is remembered in the Muslim world as the Lawgiver, al Qanuni, for his systematic codification of Ottoman law in harmony with the sharia. The great architect Mimar Sinan built the magnificent Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul under his patronage, and the name Suleymaniye has been lovingly applied to mosques across Turkey, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Syria, and beyond ever since. Attaching that name to a neighbourhood masjid in Mamak evokes the dignified Ottoman heritage even in a simple residential setting.
Turkish neighbourhood mosques typically feature reinforced concrete construction with traditional architectural references. A pencil minaret carries the adhan across the surrounding apartment blocks, arched windows admit the Anatolian light, and a central dome sits above the main prayer hall. Inside, patterned carpets cover the floor, the mihrab is lined with restrained tilework, and a wooden minbar stands beside the qibla wall. Jumu'ah prayers fill the hall with neighbourhood men and older women, while in Ramadan the courtyard offers collective iftars of pide, cacik, and Turkish tea, with the firing of the evening cannon echoing in the distance. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, taught that whoever builds a mosque for the sake of God gains a house in Paradise. Daily prayer times for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha at this Mamak masjid appear on this page for every Ankara resident and traveller.