Turkish aid agency to restore 2 mosques in Kosovo

By Figen Shaban, Dzihat Aliju

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) will restore two Ottoman mosques -- Pristina Carshia Mosque and Gazi Mehmet Pasha's Mosque -- in Kosovo.

A signing ceremony was held in the capital Pristina at Kosovo Monumet Protection Institute with the participation of Turkey's Ambassador to Kosovo Kivilcim Kilic, head of the Islamic Union of Kosovo Naim Ternava and other officials.

The protocol was signed by TIKA, Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and Kosovo Islamic Union.

Kilic said the restoration projects of these important heritages will contribute to further develop Turkey-Kosovo relations.

Ternava, for his part, recalled that the Pristina Carshia Mosque is the oldest mosque in Kosovo.

"It is the unique mosque among all the Balkan mosques because it was built entirely of stone, carrying a treasure of our culture and religion," said Ternava.

Carshia Mosque, the oldest building in Pristina, was constructed during the reign of Sultan Murad II in the 15th century. The mosque was built to celebrate the Ottoman victory of 1389 in the Battle of Kosovo.

Gazi Mehmet Pasha's Mosque is one of the oldest monuments of Islamic art in Prizren. The inscription above the entrance states it was built in 1561.

Burak Ceran, TIKA’s Pristina coordinator, said they have also started working on some other projects in Pristina and there have some more protocol agreements to be sign to begin work on more projects in Prizren and Gjakova cities.

TIKA was established in 1992, Turkey's government-run TIKA agency is responsible for implementing the country’s developmental cooperation policies overseas.

The agency offers aid to more than 40 countries around the world.