Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque or Ärtogrul Gazy Mosque is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

Ashgabat Ashgabat (Turkmen language, Turkmen: ''Aşgabat'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag, Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 ...

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

. It is a prominent landmark in Ashgabat with its four

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s and a central dome and has a lavish interior decoration with fine stained glass windows.

History

left, Mosque portico The mosque was inaugurated in 1998 after the independence of

in 1990. It is named after

Ertuğrul Ertuğrul or Ertuğrul Ghazi (; died ) was a 13th-century uch bey (marcher-lord), who was the father of Osman I. Little is known about Ertuğrul's life. According to Ottoman Empire, Ottoman tradition, he was the son of Suleyman Shah, the leader ...

, the father of

Osman I Osman I or Osman Ghazi (; or ''Osman Gazi''; died 1323/4) was the eponymous founder of the Ottoman Empire (first known as a bey, beylik or emirate). While initially a small Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman principality during Osman's lifetime, h ...

, founder of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, and was built by Hilmi Şenalp. Several accidental deaths took place during the construction, and this has led to a belief that the mosque is cursed.

Description

The white marbled building is reminiscent of the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. The mosque accommodates up to 5,000 worshipers at a time.

References

External links

Ashgabat Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque and Cultural Center
picture gallery at Hassa Architecture 1998 establishments in Turkmenistan Buildings and structures in Ashgabat Mosques completed in 1998 Mosques in Turkmenistan {{Turkmenistan-mosque-stub