german turkish building commissioned german muslims large representative central mosque cologne germany controversy project won approval cologne city council mosque designed ottoman architectural style glass walls dome mosque proposed secular areas intended interactions mosque europe biggest criticized size particularly height design square foot mosque cost million build aiming house proposed mosque funded branch turkish government religious affairs authority bank loans donations muslim associations cologne decided mosque architect mosque building churches planned mosque ottoman architecture style concrete glass dome meter high mosque entrance ground floor lecture halls basement prayer area upper floor include muslim library intended placed center connect levels create pleasant atmosphere mosque consists flat like wall screens form dome center glass walls according spokesman visitors feeling according architect enhanced inviting staircase street developers required secular areas mosque restaurant event halls stores open people religions plan welcomed mayor cologne build shorter dropped architects said plan leave proportion rest building surrounding structures construction opposed higher continue controversy project opposed author right wing groups neo nazis local district deputy mayor criticized project saying don want build turkish know don want local activist group expressed fear cologne mosque muslim population june people gathered protest organized mosque including representatives district deputy mayor thinks residents reject mosque believe cologne christian city prominent author stated opposed project mosque expression land declaration war wouldn want women wearing german streets appearance human journalist metaphor said mosque church political statement remarks turned local dispute national debate place islam germany prominent germans criticized project district mayor stated comments broke wall criticised monstrous mosque nazi problem integration muslims question language culture left conservative right wing pro cologne voted office district deputy mayor reportedly facing party exclusion city official integration stated important muslims houses prayer added years ago pray imagine anymore today city mayor supports project said self evident muslims need prestigious place worship people lived years don speak single word german christian leaders taken similarly ambivalent catholic_church long supported project recently cardinal archbishop cologne cautious asked afraid mosque said don want afraid uneasy feeling stated turkey allow christian minorities equivalent rights said mosque change skyline cologne germany protestant bishop criticized male domination saw islam said muslims able convert christianity fearing penalty death public opinion supportive majority residents saying favor poll taken local newspaper cologne residents showed project supported want size reduced protest planned september canceled police minute interest public safety clashes police august voted approve construction mosque position taken parties christian democrats outside hall group protesters demonstrated approval demonstrated favor cologne mosque project contrasted controversial project germany operation good communication early stage german politicians church community leaders developers mosque
Cologne Central Mosque