The first things that hit you as you enter Turkey’s newest mosque are the smells of fresh paint and newly laid carpet. The second is its size.
The indoor space of the Diyarbakir Central Mosque, which opens this month, reaches 30m from the floor to the crown of its octagonal dome, an enveloping expanse of turquoise, gold and various shades of rich blue, embellished with stylised Arabic calligraphy. There is space for 10,000 people to pray inside and an additional 15,000 in the grounds outside. The complex also houses a conference centre, youth centre and exhibition hall, and an underground car park with 500 spaces.
Its cost ran to £19 million and was funded by businessmen, although President Erdogan officiated at the laying of its
