Balkans | Skopje Sultan Murad Mosque, restored by Teka, was opened

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, inaugurated the Sultan Murad Mosque, which was restored by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held before Friday prayers, Ersoy said that their common history and mixed cultures always make these lands special and valuable to them, so they can never ignore the common cultural experiences and values ​​that have been established for centuries. .

“On the contrary, we always try to own it and keep it alive.” Follow Ersoy:

“Today, we not only open the 587-year-old Sultan Murad Mosque here, but the works here are also a symbol of culture and fraternity of the deep-rooted unity of our peoples and hope that in the coming centuries we will live together and stand side by side. It is also very important to protect these Brotherhood and strengthening it. These statements of mine are not just words, on the contrary, behind every word, there is the truth of the state of the Turkish Republic with its actions and deeds so far.

Ersoy noted that only TIKA has implemented more than a thousand projects in various fields, from education to health, from agriculture to vocational training and increasing institutional capacities in North Macedonia, “from Skopje to Gostivar, from Doiran to Strumica, from Radović. From Ohrid. , Tetovo to Kunci, we can see the works and results of this cooperation in every corner of Macedonia. He said.

Pointing out that there is no need to define these actions with bureaucratic, political and official lines, Ersoy pointed out that their brotherhood, whose foundations were laid in their common history, has been achieved and will continue in the future.

Ersoy emphasized that they carried out 24 restorations of cultural relics in North Macedonia, saying:

Manastir Isaac Mosque, Struga Mustafa Kabir Çelebi Mosque, Tetovo and Ohrid Baths are just a few examples. The construction of the main house of Ali Reza Efendi, the father of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, in the village of Kocacik in North Macedonia as a museum, and the restoration and furnishing of the monastery military high school, where Ataturk received his education, are among our important cultural projects. Today, the Skopje Sultan Murat Mosque, which plays a fundamental role in this beautiful union, the tombs of Beyhan Sultan and Dagestani Ali Pasha and the clock tower of the complex have also been restored after a thorough restoration. To open such an inherited legacy, which rests on the shoulders of 6 centuries of history that permeates every stone, from its minaret to its pulpit and mihrab, to worship again, gives us the happiness and peace arising from the payment of the debt of allegiance to those. lands. “

Minister Ersoy stressed that these structures should not be viewed as mere historical artifacts, and that each one of them is the memory of the people who lived and lived on these lands.

Ersoy expressed his gratitude to the state and people of North Macedonia for their support due to the earthquakes that hit Kahramanmaraş.

“I pray that it will be a sign of brotherhood among all the people who live in Macedonia”

Turkish Deputy Chief of Religious Affairs Kadir Dinç also stated that Chief of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş was unable to attend the opening due to his busy schedule and conveyed his regards.

Dench said: “On the occasion of the opening of the Sultan Murad Mosque, which was entrusted to Skopje by Sultan Murad II as a sign of our brotherhood, whose roots go back centuries as members of the same faith, religion, common history and culture, and which has been faithfully restored by our TIKA. In the fraternal and friendly country of North Macedonia, and I greet you, my dear brothers, with the most sincere of my conversations. Use phrases.

Expressing the importance for his peers and followers of the religion to live peacefully in unity and solidarity, and to protect their religious and cultural values ​​in North Macedonia, as in the rest of the Balkans, Dink said:

“I hope that this beautiful work, which we have completed and inaugurated today, will be a sign of brotherhood among all the people who live in North Macedonia, especially our Muslim brothers, and that our friendly, sincere and fraternal relations between our country and our institutions from the past to the present will continue increasingly in the future. I pray to God I greet your delegation with respect and affection.”

“Thanks to TİKA, not only North Macedonia but also the Balkans turned into beauty again”

The President of the Islamic Federation of North Macedonia (Religious Affairs), Şakir Fatahu, thanked the Tika officials who carried out the restoration work and expressed his happiness at attending the inauguration of this mosque, which is one of the symbols of the golden period of the Ottomans. Empire in Ramadan and Friday.

Referring to the importance of the Sultan Murad Mosque, Fatahu said, “Today, thanks to TIKA, not only North Macedonia, but also the Balkans are once again beautiful. The Republic of Turkey, with its institutions and tireless work, has preserved this historic mosque in order to preserve its captivating beauty for the future and to deliver the word of God to hearts and souls.” believers and people in general. He said.

Expressing his sincere thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fatahu said, “He (President Erdogan) is very interested in educating Muslims all over the world, especially in our country, the Balkan region and beyond. May God grant him success in his fruitful life.” He said.

Fattallah wished paradise for those who lost their lives in the earthquake in Türkiye and patience for their relatives.

After the speeches, Mustafa Budur, Counselor of Religious Services at the Turkish Embassy in Skopje, delivered the opening prayer of the mosque, and then the participants performed Friday prayers.

source: AA