The mixture of Ottoman, Dutch, and the architect’s features in the design of the Mevlana mosque

This thesis investigates the features of the Rotterdam based Mevlana mosque designed by the Dutch architect Bert Toorman. It aims to clarify to what extent Ottoman and Dutch features are visible in the mosque, including the architect's signature. Extensive literature research has been undertaken to determine the origins of Ottoman architecture, which serves as the foundation for determining Ottoman features for mosques, which are subsequently discussed in the Mevlana mosque. Several Ottoman mosque features are discussed compared to the Mevlana mosque. Due to the mosque's location in the Netherlands, it is examined further to evaluate how it gained ground in Dutch society at the time. Finally, information about the Mevlana mosque's whole design process was gathered through an interview with the architect. As a result, although the mentioned factors certainly influenced the structure, the mosque is less Ottoman than the architect believes.AR2A011Architecture, Urbanism and Building Science