489-square-meter Araban Central Mosque was assembled in just 16 days, company says
Turkish modular construction company Karmod is building its fifth steel-structure mosque in the country's southeastern Gaziantep city following the devastating 2023 earthquakes, the firm announced Wednesday.
The latest project, the Araban Central Mosque in Gaziantep province, has reached the painting phase, according to the statement.
Karmod CEO Ugur Kadir said the mosque was inspired by Seljuk architecture and designed to showcase sustainable building practices through steel construction.
“After the earthquake, we first responded with container shelters for urgent housing needs. Then, we contributed to recovery with permanent prefabricated housing and commercial buildings,” Kadir said.
“Our steel-frame mosques not only support reconstruction but also serve as examples of safe and fast-to-build sustainable structures.”
Highlighting earthquake safety as a core feature of steel-frame mosques, Kadir emphasized the benefits of pre-manufacturing in factory settings.
“Steel buildings allow fast assembly on site and eliminate errors common to on-site production. We must consider this model, especially for high-occupancy structures like mosques in earthquake-prone regions.”
The mosque's foundation was laid in May and reached the painting phase within one month, Kadir added.
The 489-square-meter Araban Central Mosque was assembled in just 16 days, and Karmod aims to complete interior finishing within two months.
The project marks Karmod's fifth mosque construction following the 2023 earthquakes, which struck southern Türkiye and were described by officials as “the disaster of the century.”
Previous mosque projects included the Hz. Osman Mosque in Afsin, Bolu Mosque in Nurhak, Narlica Earthquake Martyrs Mosque in Antakya, and Orhanli Industrial Mosque in Istanbul's Tuzla district.
