After more than a decade of planning, legal procedures and public debate, construction has officially begun on the Kadıköy Waterfront Mosque and Social Areas Project, one of Istanbul's most closely watched urban development projects.

The first excavation work started Monday at the site on Kadıköy's waterfront, where the mosque and community complex will be built on a nearly 30,000-square-meter plot overlooking the Marmara Sea.

Designed as more than a place of worship, the project aims to create a public space that combines religious, educational, cultural and social functions. Alongside the mosque, the complex will include classrooms, a library, art workshops, a conference hall and a soup kitchen.

The project also places an emphasis on sustainability. According to the project plans, the complex will generate part of its own electricity, collect and reuse rainwater, and make use of locally sourced and natural building materials.

Once completed, the mosque will accommodate up to 7,000 worshippers across its main prayer hall and surrounding portico areas. The design features a 44.5-meter-high (146 feet-high) central dome with a diameter of 25 meters, as well as two minarets measuring 90.85 meters and 78.12 meters in height. The site will also include parking facilities for more than 1,000 vehicles.

The project was first approved in 2015 under Istanbul's zoning plans but remained on hold for years as it underwent legal and administrative procedures. Because the site is located on reclaimed land along Kadıköy's coastline, it also became the subject of public discussions over urban planning, transportation and the preservation of public space.

Authorities have argued that the project addresses the growing need for a large place of worship in Kadıköy, one of the city's busiest districts, where the daytime population far exceeds the number of permanent residents.

Following the establishment of the Kadıköy Waterfront Mosque Construction and Preservation Association in April, the project received its building permit in May. The first-phase construction contract was signed in June before the site was handed over to the contractor, allowing work to begin on July 27.

The association overseeing the project said construction will be carried out transparently and invited the public to follow its progress as work continues on the long-awaited waterfront complex.