The Rise of Feminine in ‘Patriarchal’ Mosques: An Inquiry into The Changing Role of Women in Mosque Architecture

Abstract

Traditionally, there has been attribution of public spaces to males and private spaces of domesticity to females; moreover, mosques have been seen as ‘male’ spaces. Since the 90s, both Islamism and feminism have been on the rise, and public places and topics on women’s roles are reinterpreted. In contrast to the patriarchal character of Islam and political Islamism, Turkey, under the power of the Islamic party, witnessed an increase in women’s role in mosque architecture in the last 20 years. Mosque projects that consider and welcome women are designed, and women as mosque designers became visible. Unlike Islamist feminists’ debates around the world, in which the topic is on ‘women-only’, ‘gender-mixed’ and ‘women-focused/women-led mosques, in Turkey, the debate has been on sharing the same space of the two genders. This research will be an inquiry into the changing role of women and their relation to the production of mosque spaces, focusing on Turkey. It will look into women as the agents, designers of mosques and users of mosques. In this study, Ramazanoglu Mosque, designed by four female architects in Adana, is chosen as a case study. Space analysis is done in the case study, and circulation paths are examined based on gender. Field research, observations, architectural analyses, and literature review are done, and interviews are conducted with the architects. This research aims to contribute to feminist discourse by including Islamic women, trying to understand women’s claim and their work on the equal usage of the religious space.