Istanbul, Turkey- On Friday, in the center of Taksim Square in Istanbul, thousands of worshippers participated in the celebration to commemorate the grand opening of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Recep Tayyip Erdogan). The controversial new mosque.

Since the 1950s, this opening has fulfilled the long-term ambitions of governments of various countries to establish Muslim places of worship in the square, which is usually regarded as the secular of the founding father of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Symbol of ism.

The inauguration also coincided with the anniversary of the large-scale anti-government protests, which began on May 28, 2013 in the nearby Gezi Park due to the government’s construction plan.

The screen on the square shows the first prayer of the mosque, which is shrouded in bronze and marble statues depicting Ataturk, while believers sit on disposable paper prayer mats.

Despite the distribution of masks and detergents by municipal workers, there is little social distancing among the crowds-although Turkey has recently escaped from the strictest COVID-19 lockdown to date.

The arrival of Erdogan made him applaud, then waved to the crowd.

68-year-old Mehmet Ali Karahacioglu told Al Jazeera: “We have been waiting for this mosque for a long time.”

“No one can do it-only Erdogan. He is a special man to me. Taksim Square is currently beautifully landscaped, and I hope they can build this mosque 50 years ago.

Erdogan said in his speech that he hopes it will “illuminate our city like an oil lamp and last for centuries.”

Thousands of people attended the opening ceremony [Emre Caylak/Al Jazeera]

Taksim is the focal point of life on the European side of Istanbul – it is connected to Istiklal, the main shopping street, and is often talked about with shoppers, tourists, workers and party attendees.

The area was the home of Istanbul’s religions and minorities during the Ottoman Empire. There are several churches nearby, including the largest Greek Orthodox church in the city, but few large mosques.

“We don’t have enough mosques around, so this is good.” Canan Kurtoglu, 53, said he participated in the prayers and worked for the subcontractor who built the mosque doors.

But for critics, the 28-meter-wide dome of the new landmark and two towering minarets shroud the square. This is the effort of Erdogan, who has been in power since 2002. The Justice and Development Party (AK) exercises the dominance of religion and conservatism in the region.

Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkey Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said on Twitter, “By patronizing the large symbolic mosque in the city where he was born… Erdogan seems determined to leave an indelible mark on Turkey.”

By patronizing the iconic large mosque in the city where he was born, the mosque already has 3 “Erdogan” mosques, including the new Taksim Mosque, which overlooks and reshapes Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, Erdogan seems determined to leave his indelible mark on Turkey #SultaninAutumn https://t.co/ThppVh9yH7

-Soner Cagaptay (@SonerCagaptay) May 28, 2021

Gates Park Protest

Erdogan has been building mosques in the area since he became the mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s. However, the plan was frustrated by the military intervention of the country’s Islamic government in 1997 and a series of legal and public struggles.

In a speech after the inauguration, Erdogan accused the Gezi protests of not realizing the mosque project as soon as possible, calling it “the moment when these terrorists opposed us.”

The protests by the Gates were triggered by Erdogan’s plan to build a shopping mall designed like a barracks in the Ottoman Empire on a rare green space in the area, but the tough response of the police made it turbulent throughout the country. Lasted for several months.

The construction of this mosque finally started in 2017. According to reports, this new mosque with a capacity of 2,250 people also includes an exhibition hall, library, soup room and parking lot.

It is the third major religious landmark recently established by Erdogan in the city.

The huge Camlica Mosque overlooking the Asian side of the city opened in March 2019.

The 1400-year-old Hagia Sophia was originally a church, later became a mosque under the rule of the Ottomans, then became a museum under Ataturk, and was converted into a mosque last year .

Kanan Kurtoglu takes photos at Taksim Square [Emre Caylak/Al Jazeera]

On the opposite side of the square from the mosque is the Ataturk Cultural Center, a building from the 1960s. The Gezi protesters hung banners in 2013 but were demolished in 2019.

The building is now replaced by the new Ataturk Cultural Center, which will house an opera house, exhibition halls, cafes and restaurants.

“Erdogan just built this mosque for political reasons,” the 40-year-old actor Can Aksoy grew up and lives in the area.

“He built this building directly in front of the Cultural Center, just to show his power, because he can.”

Women attend the opening ceremony of Taksim Mosque [Emre Caylak/Al Jazeera]