Among the 200 works that applied to the photography competition organized for the Suat Günsel Mosque, which will be opened for worship with a ceremony to be held on January 11, 49 photographs that the competition jury found worthy of exhibition will meet art lovers at the Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall on Wednesday, December 27. The opening of the Fine Arts December Exhibition will also be held together with the Dr. Suat Günsel Mosque Photography Contest Exhibition.

More than 60 professional and amateur photographers participated in the Suat Günsel Mosque-themed photography contest with 200 works. Dr. Suat Günsel Mosque will be opened for worship on January 11, 2024, as the largest worship center of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The application process for the photography contest was completed on November 26, and the jury evaluation was completed on November 28. Head of Near East Enterprises Museums Department Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul, Dean of Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design Prof. Dr. Erdal Aygenç, Deputy Dean of Near East University Faculty of Communication Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayhan Dolunay, Turkish Cypriot Photography Association (FODER) President Ramadan Gümüşok and photographers Buket Özatay and Mustafa Evirgen consisted of the jury and 49 works of 30 artists were deemed worthy of exhibition by the jury. The works that are entitled to receive the achievement award, special jury award and honorable mention will be announced by the competition jury on the day of opening of the exhibition on December 27.

Two exhibitions in one!

At the exhibition on December 27, photographs of Dr. Suat Günsel Mosque will be presented to photography enthusiasts before the grand opening to be held on January 11. On the same day, a group exhibition bringing together the works of artist academics of the Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design and the artists of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts will meet art lovers. The Fine Arts December Exhibition will bring together a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, stained glass and printmaking.

About Dr. Suat Günsel Mosque

It is the largest mosque in the TRNC with 62 domes and 6 minarets. Dr. Suat Günsel Mosque will have a room for 10 thousand people to worship at the same time. The dome and minarets are made of gold colored stainless steel and chrome plated. The stained glass windows that color the 104 windows of the Dr. Suat Günsel Mosque were created by the artists of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts. The handcrafted dome decorations, which were completed in about a year, bear the signature of Uzbek artists. White stone specific to the island of Cyprus was used on the exterior of the mosque.