Fethiye Mosque, which was restored by the General Directorate of Foundations, was reopened for worship with the Friday prayer.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy examined the restoration of the historical Fethiye Mosque, which was built in the 13th century and converted from a church to a mosque in the 16th century, and received information from the authorities.
Making a statement to the press after the prayer, Ersoy said that the restoration, which was carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations at a cost of approximately 7 million lira, was completed in 2 years.
Stating that the General Directorate of Foundations and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums focused on restorations throughout Istanbul this year, Ersoy said:
“Especially until the end of 2022, we will quickly complete the repair of many places. Both our general directorates and our institutions work very fast. Hopefully, we will quickly finish the restoration work that we started at many points. Good luck to Istanbulites.”
Emphasizing that the restoration works were carried out with precision, Ersoy said, “You know, there is a museum next door. We also have some work in the museum. A cistern was also found there, and we will have some additional work in the cistern.” made its assessment.
Minister Ersoy informed that the found cistern will be cleaned from the soil and its restoration will be completed in a short time and that it will be used as an open-air museum together with the mosaics.
Ersoy, who also evaluated the restoration in the mosque, said, “The pencil works were also very good. It's not a very big mosque, you know, a small mosque. Whether it is the cleaning of the stones or the pencil work, it is very clean and made with a good workmanship. Hopefully, when we complete the landscaping in a very short time, a suitable area will be brought to Istanbul for both our community and those who come to visit the museum.” he said.
Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Foundations General Manager Burhan Ersoy, Istanbul Foundations 1st Regional Manager Hayrullah Çelebi, Istanbul Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Coşkun Yılmaz, ministry officials and neighborhood residents also attended the opening.
About Fethiye Mosque
After the conquest of Istanbul, the monastery and the church, which remained in the hands of the Christians, were moved to the Patriarchate, which was removed from the Havariun Church in 1455, and this place was used as the Patriarchate until 1586.
The structure, which was converted into a mosque during the reign of Sultan Murad III, was named Fethiye in memory of the Azerbaijan and Georgia expeditions.
The walls next to the Fethiye Mosque, located in the Balat district of Istanbul's Fatih district, which was reopened for worship after the restoration, were decorated with mosaics and opened to visitors as a museum after being repaired in 1938-1940.
Be the first to comment