MICRO HUMADITY TRAPPED AMONG MEGA PROJECTS

"Architecture is more than a history of form and style. It is a product of cultural and environmental factors and an expression of the way of life of the moment." 

Steps need to be taken to make new structures and the built environment formed; natural resource use, energy consumption and waste management more environmentally friendly. Is that how it is? Ataturk Cultural Center is constantly advancing from its ashes in the cycle of rebirth, like a phoenix. However, the main issue in the center is not the Ataturk Cultural Center, but the Taksim Mosque. The ideological discussions of the mutual positioning of the Taksim Mosque and the Ataturk Cultural Center are still ongoing.
Cover photograph: Pinterest

The above photo, Taksim Square (1953) and the other one (2021).

Mega projects carried out in recent years in Turkey continues to accelerate further. Mega mosque projects are at least the favorite of architecture offices as well as other projects. The Çamlıca Mosque and Taksim Mosque projects have become a "center" rather than just a mosque or place of worship. It's called "Kulliyyism (Kulliyye+ism)."

Çamlıca Mosque, Istanbul

What is "kulliyye": In the formation of the Islamic society, neighborhood life in the cities was concentrated in the architectural structure. The building in the center is a mosque. The mosque was a forum and a science, ceremony and negotiation center, as well as a mandatory gathering place in prayers. The kulliyye consists of structures that complement this center. The mosque, the most important structure of the city, has expanded over time and new functions have been added. The buildings, which started with small structures next to the mosque, left their place to the big ashes over time.

"There is usually a mosque in the center of the kulliyye. Everything else surrounds the mosque."

So actually a mosque is built and the elements surrounding it are being built with it. Or the elements are already made of mega mosques in an existing center. Since a quarter of the world's population is Muslim when we look at it, they are religious structures that are often built in many parts of the world. Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain... In many places such as mega mosque projects, you can see mosque projects that attract attention with different geometric design principles. So what importance sustainability is in kulliyye and mosque projects? Or does it matter? If you examine a little more carefully these days, we are witnessing the race to make "the biggest mosque in the world".
For example; "Egypt Mosque".

The "Egypt Mosque" project, announced in February 2021, managed to attract attention with its feature of being the largest mosque in the world. When you look at these mega projects, you can see that it hosts multi-purpose conference rooms, exhibition halls, multi-storey car park, libraries and museums. And you can realize that they all have different needs such as lighting, ventilation, electricity, water consumption, environmental sensitivity, technological systems, and associated expenses and costs. Although it seems quite cool to announce mega projects in a row, their needs and expenses are more than the cost of the project in the long process. So does humanity need mega projects or sustainable living spaces? What awaits micro humanity trapped among mega projects in the upcoming years? We are in a constant duel with nature. While societies are in constant struggle, nature also gives its own struggle. No matter how mega structures you build, a natural disaster can upset all your plans.

Moreover, the "mega" issues discussed in the world are the main agendas of the coming years: the population of the world is expected to increase by 2 billion in 2050 (we are talking about a population of 9.8 billion). Simultaneously within the scope of "the world's largest projects" on all sides of the world; space stations, nuclear power plants, mega cities, mega projects are being built. Due to the increasing population in the coming years, the energy consumption and possible energy needs of humanity are planned to be met from nuclear energy. Using nuclear energy also contains dangerous scenarios within itself (remember SL-1, the Three Mile Island, the Chernobyl examples) We continue our daily lives between mega projects and rent wars rather than "knowing to stop" for more than we need. The issue is no longer ideological or political Islamism discussions. The issue is not to be stuck in the media's lobbying activities and artificial agendas. The subject is sustainability, the subject is our humanity.

Book suggestion: