Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu facts for kids
Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu (born in 1955 in Istanbul) is a famous Turkish designer. She owns a company that creates amazing architecture and interior designs. In 2009, she designed the inside of Istanbul's Şakirin Mosque. This project earned her praise from all over the world. She might even be the first woman ever to design a mosque!
About Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu
Zeynep first studied computer science at the University of Sussex and at Control Data Institute. But in 1978, she found a new passion: interior design. She took a course in art history and design at London's Inchbald School of Design.
Her husband's business got her interested in restaurants and clubs. She designed about 20 of these places before starting her own company. It's called Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu Design, or ZF Design. Her company has finished more than 140 projects!
ZF Design has 18 team members, including architects, interior designers, and artists. They have licenses to work in Qatar, the Netherlands, India, and Turkey. You can see her designs in restaurants, hotels, and fancy homes in places like New Delhi, Abu Dhabi, and London.
Even though it was a new idea for a woman to design a mosque, Zeynep's work on the Şakirin Mosque was highly praised. Besides running her design studio, Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu also teaches at Istanbul Bilgi University.
Designing the Şakirin Mosque
Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu was the interior designer for the Şakirin Mosque in Istanbul. She mixed modern ideas with traditional Islamic art to create something special.
Some of her unique touches include a big metal ball above the entrance. There's also a beautifully curved minbar, which is like a pulpit. A stunning glass chandelier from China hangs inside, too.
Zeynep made sure the mosque was welcoming for women. The women's gallery upstairs is just as big and beautiful as the men's area. It's only separated by criss-crossed rails.
The chandelier has glass drops that look like water. This reminds people of a prayer for Allah's light to fall like rain. The large windows have golden designs that look like pages from the Quran. The whole mosque feels bright, spacious, and elegant.
The Şakirin Mosque was built to remember Ibrahim and Semiha Şakir by their family. Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu is actually their great-niece! Her design of the mosque made her the first woman to design a mosque in modern Turkey.
Awards and Recognition
Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu has won several important awards for her amazing designs:
- Andrew Martin International Designer of the Year Award (2002)
- House & Garden International Interior Designer of the Year (2002)
- Modern Designer of the Year, Design and Decoration Awards (London, 2005) for an apartment overlooking the Bosphorus
- The Wifts Foundation International Visionary Award (2011)
