Kocatepe Mosque is the largest mosque in Ankara and the most visible religious building in the modern city, its four minarets rising above the Kızılay district. The mosque was built in a neo-Ottoman style that consciously references the great imperial mosques of Istanbul — the Süleymaniye and the Blue Mosque — and its interior, with a vast painted dome, İznik tile reproductions, and elaborate woodwork, is genuinely impressive.
The lower level of the complex (beneath the main prayer hall) contains a shopping arcade, which caused some controversy when it opened. The mosque can be visited freely outside prayer times; guided tours can sometimes be arranged through the management office. The building is best viewed from outside in the late afternoon when the light is good.