The Arnaudija Mosque was officially opened in Banja Luka today, for the renovation of which approximately BAM six million have been allocated.
The Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkiye Mehmet Nuri Ersoy the envoy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has stated today at the opening ceremony of the Arnaudija Mosque in Banja Luka that Turkiye will do everything to strengthen ties with Bosnia and Herzegovina and to maintain peace and stability in the Balkans.
Ersoy expressed his satisfaction with today’s opening of the renovated Arnaudija Mosque.
“The Balkans and Bosnia and Herzegovina have great importance in history and culture,” Ersoy stressed.
The head of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina Husein Kavazović said that this is a big event today and that the mosque has been a refuge for good people for centuries.
“This is our common heritage that we should watch over,” Kavazović pointed out and expressed hope that this renewal will strengthen interpersonal relations and light the way to a better future.
Minister for Human Rights and Refugees in the Council of Ministers Sevlid Hurtić said that Arnaudija regained its sheen in its authentic form and additionally decorated the beautiful town on Vrbas.
“By opening this mosque, we strongly cherish the heritage and spiritual values”, emphasized Hurtić and thanked the Turkish Vakuf Directorate, which mostly financed the renovation of this mosque, as well as Turkish President Erdogan.
Mufti of Banja Luka Ismail Smajlović said at the opening ceremony of the Arnaudija mosque that Ramadan, Easter and Pesach were an opportunity to show respect for others and those who are different, and emphasized that charity and godliness should be promoted.
“The best among us is the one that is most useful to the people,” Smajlović pointed out and thanked the authorities who gave the necessary permits for the reconstruction.
He emphasized that prudent people should be the most responsible guardians of the beautiful in the world.
On the occasion of the opening of the Arnaudija mosque, a congratulatory message was read from the bishop of Banja Luka Željko Majić, in which he pointed out that every religious building is a house of prayer where believers are fed by the words of God.
The official opening was attended by the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović, and the Prime Minister of Srpska Radovan Višković.
The opening was also attended by the Vice President of the Government of Republika Srpska Alen Šeranić, the Vice President of Republika Srpska Ćamil Duraković, the delegation of the FBiH Government, a large number of believers, as well as representatives from the diaspora and Turkiye.
Arnaudija, for the renovation of which around BAM six million was allocated, was built in the classic Ottoman style, as was the Ferhadija Mosque, and due to its stylistic and typological characteristics, it belongs to the group of one-room mosques with a dome and three smaller domes. It stands out for its harmonious proportions and shape, as well as its massive stone Turbet. The entrance to the Turbe is from the mosque itself.
Source: srna.rs