Old Aalten

Tag: Bodendijk

  • Fatih Mosque Aalten

    Fatih Mosque Aalten

    Bodendijk 12, Aalten

    Fatih Mosque – Bodendijk 12, Aalten
    Photo: Aalten Fatih Camii

    The Fatih Mosque on Bodendijk in Aalten has been used as a house of worship for the Turkish Islamic community since 2009. The building previously served as a Reformed Youth Centre and later as a nursery school, before being acquired by the Fatih Aalten Foundation. The mosque is also known by its Turkish name, Fatih Camii.

    Name and Meaning

    The name Fatih Camii literally means “Mosque of the Conqueror”. Fatih refers to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II Fatih (1432–1481), nicknamed the Conqueror, who captured Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) in 1453. Camii is the Turkish word for mosque, derived from the Arabic jāmiʿ (جامع), meaning “gathering place”. Many Turkish mosques, including those outside Turkey, bear this name.

    History

    The first gatherings of the Turkish community in Aalten took place in smaller premises, but with the establishment of the Fatih Aalten Foundation, they gained the opportunity to create their own prayer space. In 2009, the building at Bodendijk 12 was officially inaugurated as a mosque.

    Since then, the premises have been adapted to function as an Islamic house of worship. Traditional decorative elements, such as handmade tiles from Turkey, have been installed inside. The building has no minaret or dome, but is recognisable as a mosque by its interior and the layout of the prayer hall, with a mihrab and minbar.

    Function and Activities

    The Fatih Mosque primarily serves as a house of worship, with Friday prayers being the most important weekly gathering. In addition, the mosque plays a broader role in community life:

    • Religious and Quranic lessons are held.
    • The mosque has facilities for Islamic funeral rites (djanazah).
    • Open days and bazaars are regularly organised to introduce local residents to the mosque and Turkish culture.

    The mosque explicitly welcomes the entire Aalten community. On its website, the mosque is described as both a religious and social centre — a place of peace, hospitality, and solidarity, where everyone is welcome for encounters, dialogue, or simply a cup of tea.

    Features

    Cadastral no.K-908
    FunctionYouth Centre,
    Nursery School,
    Mosque
    Year of construction1972
    Listedno

    Sources

    Reformed Youth Centre - Bodendijk 12, Aalten
    Photo: EHDC collection
  • Kesenbult (Boundary Stone 171)

    Kesenbult (Boundary Stone 171)

    Kiefteweg / Veenhuisweg, Heurne

    Boundary stone 171, Bodendijk, Aalten
    Photo: Remco Neerhof

    The Kesenbult is a small hill at the end of the Kiefteweg, near the green border crossing between the Netherlands and Germany. Atop the hill stands a centuries-old boundary stone, crafted from Bentheim sandstone. The stone bears the coats of arms of Guelders and Münster, the year 1766, and the number 171. It has thus marked a formerly important border crossing for more than 250 years.

    Trade route and border crossing

    In the 18th century, the Kiefteweg – which used to be called Bodendijk – formed part of the trade route between the Duchy of Guelders and the Bishopric of Münster. Not only commercial travellers passed through here, but also royal couriers, or messengers (boden). The name Bodendijk refers to these couriers.

    Cross Chapel

    In addition to trade and transit, the Kesenbult also played a role in religious life. During the period of Calvinism (1675–1799), when Catholic worship was banned in the Dutch Republic, Catholics from Aalten and Bredevoort crossed the border here.

    Some two hundred metres across the border stood the Cross Chapel (Kruiskapel), built in 1675 on the Reyerding estate by order of the Bishop of Münster, Bernhard van Galen (popularly known as Bommen Berend). The timber, octagonal chapel became the religious focal point for exiled Catholics.

    According to tradition, worshippers travelled to the chapel in workwear and carrying their tools, so as not to be recognised as churchgoers.

    Present-day significance

    The Cross Chapel has since vanished, but the boundary stone on the Kesenbult remains. It serves as a reminder of centuries of trade, religion, and border traffic between Aalten and the Münsterland. As such, the Kesenbult still forms a tangible symbol of the shared history on both sides of the border.

    Features

    Cadastral no.R-426
    FunctionBoundary stone
    Year of construction1766
    ListedNational monument

    Sources

    Kruiskapel Hemden – map
    (Click to enlarge)