Whirling Dervish statue arouses controversy in Istanbul

"A project to build a giant statue of a whirling dervish on an island off the coast of Istanbul is causing controversy between those who say it symbolizes the values of Turkey's largest city and others who think it will be a blot on the landscape, newspapers said Wednesday.

Kadir Topbas, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of the ruling Justice and Development party, which has Islamic roots, wants the 110-meter (361-foot) statue to be erected on Sivriada, an uninhabited island in the Marmara Sea, with a mosque, a church and a synagogue at its base. Turkey's Christian and Jewish minorities are mostly to be found in Istanbul."


Whirling Dervish statue arouses controversy in Istanbul