Harran, Turkey
Located in the Southeast Anatolia region of Harron-Urfa in Turkey, the Zeytinli Mosque by Kemal Serkan Demir and Ece Türkel of Office Istanbul Architects for Ilbank draws inspiration from ritual traditions and uses age-old forms and materials in a contemporary way.
For its impressive design steeped in tradition, Zeytinli Mosque has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The language of the created structure is rooted in ritual traditions dating back thousands of years.
From the past to the present, the designers observed adobe and mud, which are common local materials as finishing products in Urfa and its nearby area.
The massive grammatical language with its short span formed by the combination of plaster and earth color texture reflects important characteristic elements of local architecture.
The designers tried to interpret design decisions through awareness of the values and heritage history of architectural, cultural, and archeological elements of the city and its surroundings.
They captured a paired-down architectural rhetoric that is sensitive to the geographical features, climate, ecology, and social life of the city.
The project is a unique approach to addressing contemporary conditions by revealing the common characteristics that exist in regional geography.
The design intention was to maintain a primitive building thickness with the addition of vertical blocks that are located on a specific axis upon which the roof is placed.
This textured design created by single and combined buildings is unique.
The design language and attitude the designers considered developed out of the philosophy of the first mosques, which lacked aesthetic considerations.
In order to create an easily understandable, clear, and consistent architectural scale, the aim was to create an original and qualified mass composition.
The project site is located at Southeast Anatolia region ‘Harran-Urfa’
The hot climate of the location played a role in the design, and it is a practical structure rooted in this geography.
Project: Zeytinli Mosque
Architects: Office Istanbul Architects
Lead Architects: Kemal Serkan Demir and Ece Türkel
Design Team: Kemal Serkan Demir, Ece Türkel, Lara Uyal, Murat Kumbaracı, Can Sözeri, Şeval Özakça, Zülal Coşan, and Gizem Güleryüz
General Contractor: Ilbank
Client: Ilbank
Photographers: Photographs Courtesy of the Architects
