President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of the "Yeni Cami" in Eminönü after the restoration of the mosque – which has adorned Istanbul's silhouette for about 3.5 centuries.
"Praise be to Allah, we have opened 'Yeni Cami' (new mosque), which was undergoing renovations and restorations for a long time. This unity and solidarity will be our greatest strength," the president maintained.
The mosque, whose foundation was laid in 1597 by Safiye Sultan, the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III, was completed in 1665 after 60 years, with efforts and donations of Hatice Turhan Sultan, the mother of Mehmed IV.
The mosque has been witnessing Eminönü's hustle and bustle for 356 years. The General Directorate of Foundations initiated the restoration in 2016. During the restoration work, efforts were made to restore the mosque to its original form for about six years.
Approximately 175 tons of lead in the eaves and domes were used. The exterior was cleaned with the sandblasting method. The body and portico walls were reinforced with hydraulic lime injection.
In addition, interiors and exteriors that were not made of original materials during previous restorations were renewed. Some surfaces were cleaned with chemicals. The blemishes on marble caused by marble jamb, wiping, deterioration in the rim and railings, rusting of clamps and tenons and tension connections of the mosque were also mended while the tiles were particularly focused during the restoration process.
In accordance with the decision of the scientific committee, the tiles of approximately 1500 square meters were removed and strengthened.
Some of them were reinforced with micro-injection in situ. Those with cracks or missing parts were finished with pencil work. According to the approved restoration project, the portico domes were also decorated with pencilwork.
Touching upon the beauty and historic essence of the mosque, Recap Türkoğlu, one of the tradesmen said: "I have been working as a tradesman here for 25 years. Eminönü Yeni Mosque is one of the most important mosques in Istanbul. It has been neglected for years. Thanks to the General Directorate of Foundations, the Yeni Mosque has been restored.
The Yeni Mosque, which is visited and used for worship by millions of people every year, has been made worthy of its name. Our places of worship should be clean and magnificent. These mosques showcase the beauty of Istanbul."
Addressing the opening ceremony, Erdoğan said: "On behalf of the nation, the foundation organization, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, I would like to thank all of our architects and artists who contributed to this point."
The president reminisced about the night he spent at the mosque, while he was a senior student at an Imam Hatip school and related how he was accompanied by a preacher while delivering his sermon and how he completed the sermon on a night of Laylat al-Qadr, a holy night for the Muslim faithful.
The president is a graduate of Imam Hatip high school. "May Allah maintain our unity forever. This unity and togetherness will be our most valuable asset. I especially want you to continue on this path of unity," he added.
In the end, the president recited the Quran's first chapter for martyrs and concluded the ceremony.