Turkey reopens restored Ottoman mosques in Macedonia, Kosovo

Two Ottoman era Balkan mosques renovated by the Prime Ministry's Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) were reopened for prayer over the weekend. After a five-year restoration project, Macedonia's Mustafa Pasha Mosque was reopened in a ceremony attended by top Turkish officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, TIKA Chairman Serdar Cam, and Religious Affairs Directorate head Mehmet Gormez, as well as numerous Macedonians. "Our ancestors lived here in peace," Bozdag told the gathering. The mosque, built in 1492 in Skopje at the orders of Mustafa Pasha, the vizier to Yavuz Sultan Selim, was seriously damaged after an earthquake struck the capital in 1963. The same group of Turkish officials also went to Prizren, Kosovo to reopen the Sinan Pasha Mosque. Built in 1615 by Ottoman Bosnian Governor Sinan Pasha, the mosque plays an important role in the social life of the city. Damaged over time, especially during the wars, the mosque was carefully restored, with much attention paid to preserving its original architectural features. "The Sinan Pasha Mosque in Prizren is a symbol of multiculturalism," said Cam, stressing that the mosques are not only places of worship but also cultural assets that deserve protection. Imams will be appointed from Turkey to serve in both mosques.