Et’hem Bey Mosque in Tirana to Be Reconstructed
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Albania’s independence, Et’hem Bey Mosque of the country in Tirana, the capital, will be reconstructed.
According to IQNA’s branch in Europe, the decision was made at the ceremony held on the occasion on November 28.
It was held with the participation of Ali Za’eemi, secretary of Albanian Muslims Committee, Bekir Bozdağ, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, representatives and the staff of the committee.
The participants visited the mosque on the sidelines of the ceremony and the Turkish official announced that his country is ready to cooperate in the reconstruction project of the historical mosque and other mosques in Albania.
The Et'hem Bey Mosque is located in the center of the capital city.
Construction of the mosque was started in 1789 by Molla Bey and it was finished in 1823 by his son Haxhi Ethem Bey, great-grandson of Sulejman Pasha.
Closed under communist rule, the mosque reopened as a house of worship in 1991, without permission from the authorities. 10,000 courageous people dared to attend and remarkably the police did not interfere. The event was a milestone in the rebirth of religious freedom in Albania.
During the totalitarianism of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania, the mosque was closed. On January 18, 1991, despite opposition from communist authorities, 10,000 people entered carrying flags. This was at the onset of the fall of communism in Albania. The frescoes of the mosque depict trees, waterfalls and bridges; still life paintings are a rarity in Islamic art. Tours of the mosque are given daily, though not during prayer service.
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It was held with the participation of Ali Za’eemi, secretary of Albanian Muslims Committee, Bekir Bozdağ, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, representatives and the staff of the committee.
The participants visited the mosque on the sidelines of the ceremony and the Turkish official announced that his country is ready to cooperate in the reconstruction project of the historical mosque and other mosques in Albania.
The Et'hem Bey Mosque is located in the center of the capital city.
Construction of the mosque was started in 1789 by Molla Bey and it was finished in 1823 by his son Haxhi Ethem Bey, great-grandson of Sulejman Pasha.
Closed under communist rule, the mosque reopened as a house of worship in 1991, without permission from the authorities. 10,000 courageous people dared to attend and remarkably the police did not interfere. The event was a milestone in the rebirth of religious freedom in Albania.
During the totalitarianism of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania, the mosque was closed. On January 18, 1991, despite opposition from communist authorities, 10,000 people entered carrying flags. This was at the onset of the fall of communism in Albania. The frescoes of the mosque depict trees, waterfalls and bridges; still life paintings are a rarity in Islamic art. Tours of the mosque are given daily, though not during prayer service.
1145199
