Şehitlik-Moschee, Ottoman mosque in Neukölln, Germany
The Şehitlik Mosque is a four-storey Ottoman Revival mosque on the Columbiadamm in Berlin-Neukölln, completed in 2005 to a design by Hilmi Şenalp. Its white masonry front has two minarets with balconies and dark-grey conical roofs, and a ribbed main dome 12 metres across carried on eight half-domes. The prayer hall of 365 m² is on the first upper floor, with a women's gallery above.
Construction took place between 1999 and 2005 on land that has served as a cemetery for Muslims since 1866. The building's completion marked a major milestone for the religious infrastructure of Berlin's growing Muslim population.
The name comes from the Turkish cemetery laid out in 1866; Şehitlik derives from şehit (martyr) but here means cemetery. The mosque serves Muslims of Neukölln and Kreuzberg, with prayers mainly in Turkish and, depending on the occasion, Arabic. Most Islamic funeral ceremonies in Berlin are held here.
The building is easily accessible by public transport and sits in a quiet residential area. Visitors should know that shoes are removed upon entry and modest dress is expected.
The mosque's main dome, 12 metres across, rests on an octagonal ring, and its load passes through eight half-domes to the outer walls and foundations. The minarets rise 25.03 metres from the first floor without their tips, or 33.56 metres to the crescent. The prayer hall on the first upper floor covers 365 square metres.
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