THE ARNAUDIJA MOSQUE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, WHOSE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY OUR DIRECTORATE GENERAL, HAS BEEN OPENED FOR WORSHIP.

The Arnaudija Mosque, built with classic Ottoman architecture in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the reconstruction was carried out by our Directorate General, was opened for worship on May 7, 2024. This date is celebrated as Mosque Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina and also marks the day the mosque was destroyed by Serbs.

Many guests, including the President of Religious Affairs, Mr. Ali Erbaş, our Minister, Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, and our Director General, Mr. Sinan Aksu, attended the opening of the Arnaudija Mosque, whose reconstruction was carried out as a result of the protocol signed in 2016 between our Directorate General and the Bosnia-Herzegovina Islamic Union Sarajevo Waqf Directorate.

At the opening, our Director General, Mr. Sinan Aksu, began his speech by stating, “As the Directorate General of Foundations of the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we are always striving to preserve our past, our history, and our invaluable cultural heritage.”

Our Director General noted that the Banja Luka Arnaudija Mosque, built in the classical Ottoman architecture during the era of Ferhad Pasha in 1594-1595, is one of the 11 completed works in the region recently referred to as “brotherly geography”. He said the following:

“At the beginning of the reconstruction project, meticulous excavation research was conducted around the existing mosque and tomb foundations, revealing the existing foundations. Additionally, we reinforced the existing foundations and positioned 8 windows in the dome of the mosque as they were originally. We also covered the mosque dome, the small domes over the entrance, and the minaret with lead, completing all the mosque’s pen work decorations in accordance with the original.”

At the end of his speech, our Director General also thanked our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his support, saying, “I wish our work to bring blessings and prosperity to all our Bosnian brothers.”

The ceremony concluded with the guests touring the photo exhibition showcasing the completed reconstruction of the mosque and the process of its rebuilding.