Wesseling Mosque
The Wesselinger Mosque ( Turkish Mimar Sinan Camii Wesseling ; German : Architect Sinan Mosque Wesseling ) was built in 1987 as the eighth structurally significant mosque in Germany. The namesake Mimar Sinan was the most important Ottoman architect in the 16th century. The final completion of the mosque was celebrated in 1992. The association that runs it is a member of the Turkish umbrella organization DITIB (the "Turkish-Islamic Union of the Institution for Religion eV" founded in Cologne in 1984 ), so it is indirectly subordinate to the Turkish President.
The Muslim community
As everywhere in Germany, the Muslim community in Wesseling has emerged as a result of labor migration since the middle of the last century. Most of the Muslims belonging to the Wesseling community are former guest workers from Turkey or their descendants. The official number of members is (2014) around 270. The community has a catchment area that goes beyond Wesseling. According to the chairman, around 1200 Muslims regularly attend the traditional Friday prayer. The clergyman of the large community works full-time and is provided by the DITIB. He leads the compulsory prayer, performs the Islamic wedding rite ( Nikah ), gives religious speeches on Friday and gives the children Koran lessons.
The construction
The mosque was designed as a traditional Muslim prayer house approximating the shape of a courtyard mosque (inner courtyard with arcades) with a dome and minaret on a plot of 700 m². However, the community does not have the right to call to prayer from the minaret. Different building types were prevalent at different times and countries. The oldest form is the courtyard mosque with surrounding arcades. This variant served as a model for the Wesselingen builders. The large dome is not only an important feature for a beautiful appearance, but also serves the balanced acoustics. The minaret has a height of 27 m.
The minaret is a Germanized word and is based on the Arabic word manära, but is also called as-sauma'a, the tower or the elevation, or al-mi'dhana, the place from which the call to prayer is made. The prototype of the minaret is that of the “Mosque of Bilal” on Mount Abü-Qubais in Mecca.
First and foremost, the Wesselingen mosque is the place where the faithful perform their prayers. In its adjoining rooms, however, it is also used as a versatile meeting place and serves as a social, cultural, educational and religious center.
The construction of the mosque cost about two million DM , was financed by community members and does not require any subsidies.
The mosque is named after the important Ottoman architect Sinan .
The interior / ritual
Inside the mosque there are panels with calligraphy (hatt) on which the names of the most important people in Islamic religious history are written. So the name of God ( Allah ), the name of the Prophet ( Mohammed ), the names of the four caliphs and the grandchildren of the Prophet are listed.
There are also many Koranic verses on the walls and ceilings, some verses are written or burned directly on ceramic tiles . Ornate motif tiles from the Anatolian city of Kütahya are often used to furnish the room. These, in the form of the calligraphic verses of the Koran and the ornamental patterns, are the only decorations in the prayer hall ( harām ) besides the magnificent chandelier . The floor is covered with carpets, there are no chairs or benches as in Christian churches.
The showpiece of the large prayer room is the ceramic-framed prayer niche ( mihrāb ). It is located in the middle of the wall on the head side and is the central location in the mosque. As is usual with all mosques, it is oriented towards the Kaaba (Ka'be) in Mecca . Here the prayer leader ( imam ) stands during the daily prayers and the Friday prayer , from there the scholar prays and the congregation prays afterwards. After a renovation, there are flat screens on the walls showing the sermon, which is being delivered in Turkish or Arabic, in German.
A lecture pulpit (Kürsü) is to the left of the mihrāb, it is a raised lectern from which Koran recitations are held. The sermon pulpit ( minber ), on the other hand, is a much higher sermon place to the right of the mihrāb, which is used for occasions that go beyond the daily ritual . It is used, for example, on Fridays between common prayers (Cumá) and again for a second sermon after the last prayers (Vaaz). The gallery on the upper floor is reserved for women.
Mimar-Sinan-Camii, the great dome
Sermon pulpit (minber), detail
The pulpit, (Kürsü) detail
The prayer niche, (mihrāb) and sermon pulpit (minber)
other areas
In addition to the prayer room, the mosque offers its visitors many additional areas: classrooms, for example for computer courses, women's, youth and library, sports and leisure rooms, washing and shower facilities. In the arcades that partially surround the mosque, there are small stalls, and there is also a snack bar. Read the newspaper and enjoy a traditional Turkish tea ( cay ) or mocha under a small pavilion roof on rustic wooden tables and benches .
In the near future, the community plans to expand the facility with an extension for the Imam's apartment and other classrooms.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mosques at muslim-liga.de (accessed December 2014)
- ↑ Britta Havlicek: Chandelier Adorns the Dome , Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Rhein-Erft, December 16, 2014, p. 36
- ↑ Havlicek, December 16, 2014
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 49 ′ 48 ″ N , 6 ° 57 ′ 56 ″ E