Djibouti 2 Abdülhamid Han Mosque and Complex

Djibouti 2nd Sultan Abdulhamid 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 Directorate of Religious Affairs in 2015, was completed and opened for service in 2019.

^{Djibouti 2nd Sultan Abdulhamid Mosque – Exterior Facade and Minarets (}Türkiye Diyanet Foundation⁾

The initial proposal for the mosque’s construction arose during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Djibouti in 2015. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh expressed his desire during this visit to see a mosque reflecting Ottoman architectural style and to hear the call to prayer performed in the Istanbul tradition. In response to this request, the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs took on the project, and work commenced the same year with the laying of the mosque’s foundation.

^{General View of the Prayer Hall and Upper Gallery (}Türkiye Diyanet Foundation⁾

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

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

^{Main Dome Chandelier and Decorative Detail (}Türkiye Diyanet Foundation⁾

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

• Artistic elements: The dome and walls feature exemplary works of Ottoman calligraphy. Regional simplicity has been preserved, and chandeliers have been designed according to classical Ottoman lighting traditions.

• Materials: Most of the stone, marble, woodwork and decorative elements used in the structure were imported from Türkiye. The domes are clad in aluminum sheets, and their copper finials are adorned 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 (}Türkiye Diyanet Foundation⁾

The official inauguration of the mosque took place on 29 November 2019. The ceremony was attended by Mustafa Şentop, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Ali Erbaş, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Levent Şahinkaya, Turkish Ambassador to Djibouti, 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 led the Friday prayer.

^{Interior View During Congregational Prayer (}Türkiye Diyanet Foundation⁾

• Symbolic value: The mosque is the first mosque ever 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 Directorate of Religious Affairs 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.