Having been started to be constructed 6 years before, the Grand Çamlıca Mosque which is the biggest of its kind in Turkey and can host 63 thousand worshippers at the same time was officially inaugurated with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and foreign politicians.

The hodjas who were commissioned by Istanbul Mufti’s Office and the hafizs who came from Palestine and Egypt recited the Holy Qur’an and chanted, starting from early morning hours before the opening ceremony of the mosque which was adorned with Turkish flags.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who gave a speech in the opening ceremony which was attended by a number of foreign and local guests and drew intensive attention of the citizens expressed his wishes that might the officially inaugurated mosque conduce to goodness for Istanbul, the country and Islam world.

President Erdoğan said that the mosque whose construction was started on 19th March 2013 was inaugurated as a fruit of intensive work, by stating that there were also workshops located in an area of 2 thousand and 500 square meters for practise of traditional handcrafts within the complex which was constructed in a disabled-friendly way.

Erdoğan who expressed that the mosque, titled as the biggest of its kind in Turkey, could be easily seen from every point of Istanbul also noted that the architecture of the mosque carries several symbols of history, civilisation and faith.

"The main dome of the mosque which is72 meters above the ground  represents 72 nations living in Istanbul and its second dome with a diameter of 34 meters represents the license number of Istanbul. Sixteen names of Allah (swt) were inscribed on the inner walls of the dome by benefitting from the last two verses of Surah al-Hashr, representing the 16 states founded by Turks. A finial was put on the main dome, weighing 4.5 tons at a width of 3 meters and 12 centimetres and  a height of 7 meters and 77 centimetres. Coloured with nanotechnology and made of 3 pieces, the finial is the biggest of its kind in the world. Apart from all these, our mosque has several other features inscribed on its dome, gate, pulpit and altar. If Allah (swt) permits, with all of these qualifications, the Grand Çamlıca Mosque is going to conduce to, too, bringing up the architects and new masters to take our heritage of civilisation further," said President Erdoğan by uttering that the mosques had 6 minarets which represented the pillars of iman, four of the minarets had three balconies and were constructed as 107.1 meters high in reference to the Turkish victory in the battle of Malazgirt.

"Wherever there is a dome and minaret is a Muslim land"

Erdoğan conveyed that mosques were the places where Muslims came together and joined and their hearts were interlocked while sitting side by side and continued,

"Our universal brotherhood called as ummah which does not recognise any class, boundary, distance, colour, language and  race comes into existence primarily in our mosques. Believers primarily comprehend in mosques that they are an ummah and brothers and sisters with all their colours and differences Therefore, mosques are not only the places of worship but also the places where our brotherhood and love are strengthened 5 times a day. Mosques are  the symbol of our eternal brotherhood and the cement of our solidarity. They are also the blessed venues in which the peace messages given to all humanity by tawhid call of Islam are echoed. Our houses of worship have been constructed to be grand and magnificent on account of the meaning that they give to the city in which they are constructed. Wherever there is a dome and minaret and our azans echo in the sky, without doubt, that place is a Muslim land."

"Wherever there is a dome and minaret is a Muslim land"

Erdoğan conveyed that mosques were the places where Muslims come together and join and their hearts were interlocked while sitting side by side and continued,

"Our universal brotherhood called as ummah which does not recognise any class, boundary, distance, colour, language and race comes into existence primarily in our mosques. Believers primarily comprehend in mosques that the yare an ummah and brothers and sisters with all their colours and differences Therefore, mosques are not only the places of worship but also the places where our brotherhood and love are strengthened 5 times a day. Mosques are the symbol of our eternal brotherhood and the cement of our solidarity. They are also the blessed venues in which the peace messages given to all humanity by tawhid call of Islam are echoed. Our houses of worship have been constructed to be grand and magnificent on account of the meaning that they give to their construction  city. Wherever there is a dome and minaret and our azans echo in the sky, without doubt, that place is a Muslim land."

“To murder people and bomb houses of worship cannot be named as jihad but can be named as terror”

“No one can establish rules at their sweet will on any issues unless allowed by the Messenger of Allah (saw), Islamic rule scholars and elder followers of Sunnah. No one can attack on houses of worship by excusing it under the cover of ‘’jihad’’, this is out of question. To murder people and bomb houses of worship cannot be named as jihad but can be named as terror, violence and murder. We, Turkey, have been fighting against these murder organisations both in homeland and outside our borders intensively. We are determined to clear our country and region from the deviants gathered around the organisations such as DAESH, Al-Qaeda, FETO and PKK. Likewise, we are going to also maintain our fight against the neo-Nazi terror, which targets Muslims and attacks our mosques in Europe.

Although some Western powers impose double standards, we are going to be coherent and determined on this issue. We are never going to allow our future to be held captive by these enemies of humanity. In this regard, everyone, Muslims in particular, have important responsibilities. We are experiencing a critical period in which we must highlight more strongly and voice more loudly Islam’s messages for peace. Provided that we react, advocate the truth bravely and protect our religion, with the permission of Allah (swt), the terrorists are not going to reach their objectives. I believe that each of my brothers here is going to address this issue with this sensitivity. May the Almighty Allah (swt) maintain us in the right path," said Erdoğan by emphasizing that no one could change the lines drawn by the Qur’an at their sweet will and declare halaal as haraam.

“I would like to express my thanks to all our brothers from architects to engineers, my worker brothers and the contracting firm. May the prays and worships performed here be accepted in and be close to the presence of Allah. As expressed by the poet Arif Nihat Asya in his lines, I also wish that 'May Allah not deprive us of love, water, air, country, at the same time, of temple, minaret and azan.’ I would like to congratulate your Mubarak Month of Ramadan. May it conduce to goodness if Allah (swt) permits,” Erdoğan completed his words by expressing his wishes that the Grand Çamlıca Mosque would conduce to goodness and expressing his thanks to the people who constructed and brought the mosque to life.

The President of Religious Affairs Erbaş

The President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr Ali Erbaş prayed at the opening ceremony.

The President of Religious Affairs Erbaş took place to the followings in his pray,

“O the creator of earths, skies and entire universe out of nothing, o the one who gives whatever He wants to whom He wants, the Almighty Allah (swt) who has the only power of taking whenever He wants; we have raised our hands now for your consent, may You not turn us down empty-handed from your presence.

O Allah (swt), just like we have gathered under the sun now may You make us one of the people who gather under the shadow of Allah’s ninth heaven on the judgement day when no shadow exists.

O the Cherisher of the Worlds, may You connect our hearts with mosques and masjids and make us one of the people who find joy and peace in mosques and worship to Allah (swt).

O the Cherisher of the Worlds, may You keep our children, young people, generation and posterity in your path. May You make them permanently stay in the right path of Muhammad Mustafa (saw).

O the Cherisher of the Worlds, may You make our hearts in your path permanently, O Allah who turns the hearts over and over, make our hearts fixed in your path. O Allah (swt) who turns circumstances over and over, endow the most beautiful circumstances to us.

O Allah (swt) who opens the doors, bestow goodness doors on us.

May Allah be pleased with everyone who conduced to and worked for construction of our beautiful mosque, the Grand Çamlıca Mosque, with primarily our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and all others from workers to architects and from engineers to coordinators. May You beatify the souls of all their relatives who passed away.

May You not leave this mosque without worshippers, May You not leave this mosque without children, May You not leave this mosque without young people. May You not leave minarets of this mosque without azans.

O the Cherisher of the Worlds, may You deter unrelated hands from touching our mosques, may You deter unrelated hands from touching our temples, may You never let the flags go down from the sky.  May You place the bonds of love and affection in the hearts of our nation. May You protect our nation and the entire Islam world from the evil of all kinds of enemies.

Al-Fatihah, for beatification of the souls of the passed away relatives of the all Muslims present here who raise their hands and say ameen right now, for gaining our expectations and being secured from our fear, and for the consent of Allah (swt).”

In the ceremony, foreign politicians and guests also gave speeches of greeting and congratulation.

The ceremony was completed with ribbon cutting of President Erdoğan, foreign politicians and guests, the GNAT Speaker Mustafa Şentop, Ministers and the Chairmen of Higher Judicial Bodies, after the pray performed by the President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş.

Vice President Fuat Oktay, President of Albania Ilir Meta along with members of cabinet, Prime Minister of Palestine Muhammed İbrahim İştiyye, Chairman of Execution Body of Afghanistan Dr Abdullah Abdullah, President of Senegal Macky Sall, Member of Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina Şefik Caferoviç, President of Guinea Alpha Conde and a number of citizens attended the ceremony.