Mosques in Turkey: A Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to look at the changes in the number of mosques in relation to changes in population in Turkey. In addition to a detailed analysis at provincial level, regions are subjected to comparison among themselves. Further, the paper examines the factors determining the number of mosques in rural, urban and total population separately. The paper indicates that the change in the number of mosques as compared to the change in population, shows not a linear increasing trend but a fluctuating one. During 1971-88 period the increase in population exceeded increase in the number of mosques while the reverse trend was true for 1981-88 period. For the period under scrutiny here (1986-88), the increase in the number of mosques fell behind the increase in population. Factors determining the number of mosques are found to be: population, percent of votes cast for right wing parties and the number of mosque associations for rural areas; demographic index, population and the number of mosque associations for urban areas, and education, demographic index, population and the number of mosque organizations for the total population.