Afət Ziyadqızı
Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced that six historic mosques in Diyarbakir and Bingol, where restoration work has been completed, will reopen for worship.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Ersoy said on his social media account that the Ali Pasha, Malik Ahmad Pasha, Parlisafo, Jafer-i Tayyar and Hanbashi mosques in Diyarbakir, as well as the Balaban Bey Mosque in Bingol, restored by the General Directorate of Foundations after the February 6 earthquakes, will reopen for worship with Friday prayers on October 2.
According to the minister, earthquake damage was repaired on the basis of scientific studies, and the buildings were reinforced. Particular care was taken to preserve the monuments’ original architectural features, including stonework, tiles, wooden elements and decorative patterns.
A joint reopening ceremony for the six mosques will be held at the Ali Pasha Mosque in Diyarbakir’s Sur district. Built in the 16th century by Hadim Ali Pasha, the mosque underwent the removal of unsuitable concrete roofing and beams. Its roof was renewed in keeping with Diyarbakir’s traditional roof design, and its wooden pulpit and tiles were restored.
The minaret of the 15th-century Parlisafo Mosque, which was severely damaged in the earthquake, was reinforced with steel rings and tensioning elements. Similar repairs, grouting and foundation reinforcement work were also completed at the Jafer-i Tayyar, Hanbashi and Malik Ahmad Pasha mosques, the latter built between 1587 and 1591.
At the Balaban Bey Mosque in Bingol, which dates to the Aq Qoyunlu period, the damaged minaret was carefully dismantled and rebuilt using traditional construction methods. The building’s architectural integrity, including its electrical and mechanical systems, has also been restored.
