The acoustical characteristics of the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara, Turkey

This research investigates the acoustical characteristics of mosques of the classical Ottoman period and the contemporary period. Kocatepe Mosque, the major mosque in Ankara, Turkey, as a case from the contemporary era is a unique combination of 16th century Ottoman aesthetics and 20th century technology. Although previous and recent mosques have been inspired by this combination, the use of a reinforced concrete dome without cavity resonators could cause long reverberation times especially in low frequencies. The purpose of this study was to investigate this condition by studying Kocatepe Mosque. The acoustical characteristics of the mosque were analyzed by computer simulation. Objective room-acoustic indicators including reverberation time (RT), early decay time (EDT), clarity (C80), definition (D50), lateral fraction (LF), speech transmission index (STI) and strength (G) are presented. The results show that the acoustical quality of Kocatepe Mosque is not optimal when it is empty, and closest to optimal conditions when fully occupied. The new techniques to overcome excessive low frequency attenuation caused by huge concrete shells of today's mosques are discussed in conclusion.