Djibouti Atik Valide Sultan Külliyesi and Mosque

Djibouti 2nd Abdülhamid Han Mosque and Complex is a place of worship and religious complex located in the capital of the East African country Djibouti, featuring elements of Ottoman architecture and serving as the country’s largest mosque. The project, initiated by the Turkish Religious Foundation in 2015, was completed and opened for service in 2019.

^{Djibouti 2nd Abdülhamid Han Mosque – Exterior Facade and Minarets (}Turkish Religious Foundation⁾

The first initiative for the construction of the mosque arose during the 2015 visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Djibouti. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh expressed his desire during this visit to see a mosque reflecting Ottoman architecture and to hear the call to prayer performed in the Istanbul style. In response to this request, the Turkish Religious Foundation assumed responsibility for the project, and work began the same year with the laying of the mosque’s foundation.

^{General View of the Courtyard and Upper Gallery (}Turkish Religious Foundation⁾

The mosque was built on a reclaimed land area of approximately 10,000 to 13,000 square meters in the Salines Ouest District, where Djibouti’s Presidential Palace is also located. For foundation reinforcement, 96 bored piles were installed, and the structure was completed in the first quarter of 2019.

Architecturally, a classical Ottoman style was chosen. The mosque features two minarets, each 46 meters high and equipped with double balconies. Its dome is 27 meters high and 20 meters in diameter.

^{Main Dome Chandelier and Ornamental Detail (}Turkish Religious Foundation⁾

• Capacity: The mosque can accommodate 5,000 to 6,000 worshippers.

• Artistic elements: Exemplary works of Ottoman calligraphy adorn the dome and walls. Regional simplicity has been preserved, and chandeliers have been designed according to classical Ottoman lighting art.

• Materials: The majority of the stone, marble, woodwork, and decorative elements used in the structure were imported from Türkiye. The domes are covered with aluminum sheets, and their copper finials are gilded with gold leaf.

• Interior space: In the prayer hall and galleries, odorless wool felt carpets have been laid to suit the hot climate.

^{View of the Mihrab and Minbar Inside the Mosque (}Turkish Religious Foundation⁾

The official inauguration of the mosque took place on 29 November 2019. Attendees included the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Şentop, the President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş, the Turkish Ambassador to Djibouti Levent Şahinkaya, and numerous Turkish and Djiboutian officials.

Djibouti’s Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Mümin Hasan Barreh, described the mosque and its complex as a gift from Türkiye to the Djiboutian people in his speech at the ceremony. Following the ceremony, Ali Erbaş, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, led the Friday prayer.

^{Interior View During Congregational Prayer (}Turkish Religious Foundation⁾

• Symbolic value: The mosque is the first to be built in Africa in the name of an Ottoman sultan after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
• Bilateral relations: It is regarded as a tangible symbol of friendship between Türkiye and Djibouti, initiated by the heads of state of both countries.
• Social role: The Turkish Religious Foundation has utilized the mosque complex to host iftar programs during Ramadan, transforming the mosque into not only a place of worship but also a center of social solidarity.