INCLUSIVE DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR WOMEN ON MOSQUE SPACE: EXAMPLES FROM CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE Vera YILDIZ GÜZELCE ABSTRACT Mosques are spaces where gender hierarchy is often reproduced in religious contexts. Today, mosques are utilized in a wide range of variations depending on the religious context of the country in which they are located. In contemporary mosques, the boundaries of privacy are sometimes maintained and sometimes reinterpreted in different ways. The position of women in the design of these spaces has always been of significant importance. Within the scope of this study, I examined the women's gallery of 15 mosque projects selected from various parts of the world. The selection criterion of the projects was that they were built in the XXI. century and were described as contemporary in the architectural media. The main purpose of the research is to discuss whether the formal modernization of the space allows for a more egalitarian use of the space. Firstly, I categorize the inclusiveness of the mosque spaces into three main groups: (1) mosques where different genders worship in the same space without any segregating architectural elements (Equality & Unity), (2) mosques where different genders worship in the same space but are segregated (Patriarchal Mosque), (3) mosques where different genders worship entirely in separate spaces (Women’s Mosque & Exclusive Mosque). This grouping focuses on whether the selected examples provided spaces catering to the physical needs of female users, the positioning of these spaces, and the circulation axes defined within the space. I created a twelve-item criteria for evaluating the selected projects inspired by Eskandari’s study (2013) about mosques in America. After explaining the criteria and the reasons for their selection, the mosque projects under consideration were assessed. Such as how men and women enter the space, whether the gallery or women’s section has a visual connection with the mihrab, the physical accessibility of the designed spaces, the design of the ablution areas, the spatial relationship between the women’s prayer area and other spaces, and the use of directional elements to facilitate these spaces. The primary goal of this study is to show the possibilities of new spatial arrangements that avoid making women feel secondary in the worship space. Keywords: Mosque Space, Inclusive Design, Women