Nizamiye Mosque

Nizamiye Masjid, often called the Nizamiye Mosque, is a mosque situated in the city of Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. It is often stated to be the biggest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere, occupying less than two-thirds of a hectare in a 10 hectares of land. The plans for the mosque were originally designed in Turkey, but a South African architect adapted the design to South African building standards. Construction began in October 2009 and was completed in 2012.OriginAli Katircioglu, a Turkish businessman, planned to build Ottoman-styled architecture in places where it was absent. Failing to acquire a suitable location in the United States, the project was moved to South Africa. This move was advised by Fethullah Gulen.Work began on the project on 1 October 2009 and was officially inaugurated by the South African President Jacob Zuma on 4 October 2012. The name of the mosque was inspired by the 11th-century Nizamiye Madrasahs, a higher education institution system used in Baghdad and other parts of the Islamic world.Nizamiye complexThe Nizamiye Complex has several institutions besides the masjid and serves as a community center with its several halls and facilities.MasjidConstruction on Nizamiye Masjid began in October 2009 and was completed in 2012. The basic plan of the masjid was adopted from the 16th-century Ottoman Selimiye Mosque. This mosque, located in Edirne, Turkey, was designed by Mimar Sinan. Nizamiye Masjid was scaled to the Selimiye Mosque by a ratio of 80%. The plans for the mosque were designed in Turkey and adapted by a South African architect to South African building standards.