Minarets without Mosques: Limits to the Urban Politics of Neo-liberal Islamism

Abstract

This paper discusses urban politics in contemporary Turkey through a particular architectural phenomenon: that of minarets without mosques. Local administrations under neo-liberal Islamists propose urban regeneration projects which require extensive demolitions in squatter areas. Yet, their reluctance to tear down minarets creates ruinscapes in which minarets seem to have miraculously survived destruction. In this regard, the minarets without mosques should be understood as symptoms of urban transformation led by neo-liberal Islamism. Neo-liberal Islamists envisage these projects as spatial forms of politics of convergence, juxtaposing slum upgrading with luxurious housing within the unifying cultural codes of Islam. It is proposed to interpret these minarets not as bearers of religious symbolism but as nodes within the urban network of everyday life referring to Lefebvre's concept of rhythmanalysis. Viewed in this way, it becomes possible for the minarets to take on new meanings and serve as signs of the displacement of the squatters. © 2012 Urban Studies Journal Limited

Sacred Rhythms and Political Frequencies: Reading Lefebvre in an Urban House of Prayer

“…Some works have used rhythm analysis to investigate how recording techniques, such as photography (Simpson ) and cartography (Hornsey ), enable a better understanding of placemaking strategies. Rhythm analysis has also been employed to study physical changes in the city through urban regeneration (Hubbard and Lilley ), ruination (Batuman ), gentrification (Kern ), and abandonment (Gibas ).…”

“…Yet despite the literature's richness, the notion of rhythm has not been widely applied in relation to the urban properties of religion and religious institutions (Batuman ). This is quite surprising given that these places generate the ultimate, almost ubiquitous rhythms.…”

Reflection of Political Restructuring on Urban Symbols: The Case of Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey

“…As part of the contemporary political context, the urban scheme of the capital has been reproduced (Batuman 2013a(Batuman , 2013b(Batuman , 2014Bozdogan, Akcan 2012). Urban politics of post-2000s Turkey are designed under the conditions of neo-liberal urban regime coupled by Islamic cultural politics.…”

“…Benefiting from the religious network in capital accumulation and distribution, and embracing democratization against the constant militaristic threat, the Justice and Development Party has gained a wide support of the nation. With respect to neo-liberal economic approach of the ruling party, the urban space is regarded as a significant means of capital accumulation (Batuman 2013a(Batuman , 2013b. Urban regeneration projects came into agenda to represent Islamic symbolism and conservative daily practices on space and to commodify the space by slum upgrading and building luxury housing.…”

Droit à la ville et contestation de l’ordre moral urbain en Turquie

“…On retrouve ces éléments dans tous les aménagements des espaces urbains en Turquie, du simple parc au nouveau quartier périphérique de type grand ensemble, avec des indices plus ou moins flagrants, et dont les minarets sont la plupart du temps des marqueurs spatio-temporels forts (Batuman, 2013). La dimension hygiéniste est claire, et couplée à une surveillance panoptique des comportements.…”