THE OPENING CEREMONY OF EMİNÖNÜ YENİ MOSQUE WAS HELD WITH THE PRESENCE OF OUR PRESIDENT, MR. RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN

Eminönü Yeni Mosque, the Pearl of the Bosphorus, which was restored by our Directorate  General in Istanbul in accordance with the original, was reopened to worship with the presence of our President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN.

Our Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişci, AK Party Vice Presidents, Deputies, Mayors, Governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Director General Burhan Ersoy, Istanbul Police Chief Zafer Aktaş, AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Osman Nuri Kabaktepe and citizens attended the opening ceremony.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We are on a Friday feast. On such a feast day, we have renewed our Yeni Mosque, which has been under renovation, repair and restoration for a long time. The construction of the Yeni Mosque in Eminönü, which was started by Safiye Sultan, wife of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, was completed by Hatice Turhan Sultan, mother of Sultan Mehmed IV. The restoration of the Yeni Mosque, which has been frequented by millions of people for more than 3.5 centuries, was started in 2016. In this context, 175 tons of lead in the eaves and domes of the mosque was replaced. The exterior facade was completely cleaned. The body and portico walls were strengthened. The interiors and exteriors, which were not made with the original materials, were also replaced in accordance with the original. Deterioration and damages in marble, wiping and railings have been repaired. Those of the historical tiles in poor condition were dismantled and strengthened, and those with cracks or missing pieces were completed with pencil works. The pencil works on the portico domes were redone according to the restoration project. All in all, alhamdulillah, when I watched the dome from the floor while performing our prayer in the mosque, I saw with praise to my Allah that a brand new Yeni Mosque had emerged."

Our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also shared a memory from the Yeni Mosque with the following words:

"I also have a memory here. When I was in the fourth grade of Imam Hatip school, we gave a sermon here on Kadir Gecesi (Laylat al-Qadr) with our Hodja Feyzullah. He gave a sermon, I followed him, and I gave another sermon. We have come a long way. And we have such a memory of the Yeni Mosque. May God help us. May Allah make our unity and solidarity last forever, and may this unity and solidarity be our biggest feast. I especially want you to continue on this path by maintaining our unity and solidarity. I entrust you to Allah. I say let's read a Fatiha for all our martyrs."

After the prayer of Istanbul Mufti Safi Arpaguş, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cut the ribbon with his entourage and opened the mosque.