Fatih Mosque

/Fatih Mosque

2001 – 2016

2001 | 8 | 8|

The former church building was in a state of decay. The Fatih mosque community decided to renovate the building thoroughly. In 2001, it was listed as a monument by the City Council, and the roof and towers were restored. Today, the mosque community is constructing a new and more prominent entrance, intended to make the mosque more visible and recognisable from the street.

1981

1981 | 8 | 8|

In 1981 the building was bought by a Turkish-Dutch community and converted into the “Fatih Mosque”. The conversion entailed one major transformation: the former church entrance was closed and replaced by a prayer wall, in order for the Muslim community to be able to pray in the direction of Mecca.

1971

1971 | 8 | 8|

After an initial period during which the church flourished, its community declined steadily, particularly after the Second World War. As young families increasingly left the neighbourhood, the community became smaller. In 1971 it was decided to close the church. In subsequent years it was used as a carpet store and then a supermarket.

1929

1929 | 8 | 8|

As more and more people were leaving the canal district where The Sower was located, it was decided to abandon the church on the Keizersgracht and to build a new one on the location of Saint Joseph’s Chapel on the Rozengracht. It was completed in 1929. This new building was designed by H.W. Valk and again took the name, The Sower. It was a monumental church building in traditional style.

1899

1899 | 8 | 8|

Failure to pay the mortgage led the Social Democratic League to sell “Constantia”. It was bought by a Jesuit church community called “The Sower” (De Zaaier). Their original 17th century building was a clandestine or hidden church (schuilkerk) on the Keizersgracht, during the period of the Dutch Republic when Catholics were prohibited from meeting in publicly visible churches. The clandestine church was replaced by a purpose built church in 1837. The purchase of “Constantia” by the Jesuits dismayed the socialist owners of the building and it was only possible with the help of a middle man. The Jesuits converted the building, where – according to a Catholic newspaper – “until that time the devil had roamed and God had been so much defamed”. The new church was called Saint Joseph’s Chapel.

1890

1890 | 8 | 8|

The socialist Social Democratic League (Sociaal-Democratische Bond) constructed a building at Rozengracht 152, in the Jordaan neighbourhood, to serve as their headquarters. They named it “Constantia”. The party’s leader Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis, who had started his career as a Protestant preacher, used to give speeches there. Domela Nieuwenhuis was a charismatic speaker who was often attributed with messianic qualities by his supporters.