ISTANBUL (AA) - July 23, 2012 - Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc has said that the General Directorate for Foundations has renovated the "Heirloom of Ancestors", which include nearly 4 thousand mosques, Islamic social complexes, imarets and caravansaries and they have been reopened for public use.
After its renovation, the reopening ceremony of the "Arab Mosque" in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul was held by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Arinc.
"Arab Mosque" was built by the Islamic armies who came to besiege Istanbul in the years of 716 and 717.
Arinc reminded that the restoration of the mosques Fatih, Suleymaniye, Mihrimah Sultan, Pertevniyal Sultan, Yavuz Selim and Kilic Ali was completed a while ago and they were all reopened for public use by the Turkish General Directorate for Foundations.
Arinc added that the "Arab Mosque" is the biggest mosque in the Galata zone of Halic district in Istanbul and informed attendees about the history of the mosque.
Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade, Hayati Yazici, attended the ceremony together with Bulent Arinc and stated that the "Arab Mosque" is a unique structure which is genuine to the city of Istanbul.
Yazici said that there are important works of art based in Turkey from the period of Seljuks and stressed that most of those buildings did not serve public.
Hayati Yazici said, "Between 1998 and 2002 there were 46 monuments got renovated however in the past decade the number of renovated rose to 6 thousand. The number shows how much we care about them."
The restoration of "Arab Mosque" took start in 2008 and concluded a while ago.
