Vaniköy Mosque, also known as the "Pearl of the Bosporus," built in the late 17th century, reopened Friday following 2.5 years of meticulous restoration work in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Located along one of the scenic waterfronts of the Bosporus the historical mosque was built by Vani Mehmet Efendi in 1670 during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV.
Deriving its name from the eastern province of Van, the area where the mosque is situated was granted to Mehmet Efendi by Sultan Mehmed IV to establish a Turkish village. Since Mehmed Efendi was born and raised in Van, he was referred to as "Vani," roughly referring to the person from Van province. Since Vani Mehmed Efendi governed this area, it has been transformed into "Vaniköy," or Vani's village.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the mosque that once hosted many sultans and was nearly destroyed in the fire, President Erdoğan referred to the mosque as one of the symbols of the historic Usküdar district, recalling that the mosque endured severe damage during the unfortunate event.
Erdoğan also noted that the wooden roof of the mosque, as well as the inner section including the mahfil area, were destroyed during the fire, underlining that although the "exploitation of the certain circles" following the unfortunate event took place, they "did not listen to any of them" and have instead initiated the restoration process.
"We took action quickly to revive this rare artifact, which is the legacy of the ancestors, with the mission of loyalty to the city. A restoration protocol was signed between our Istanbul Foundations' 2nd Regional Directorate, Mehmet Vani Foundation and Kalyon Foundation," he added.
"The Vaniköy Mosque, one of the symbolic architectural structures of not only Üsküdar but also Istanbul, was the heart of this region for three and a half centuries until it was destroyed in a fire. It has been one of the places en route of the sultans' visits since the 18th century. I extend my good wishes that the mosque's reopening for worshippers will benefit our district and Istanbul," the president noted.
Other high state officials, including Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Governor of Istanbul Davut Gül, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Istanbul Provincial Chairperson Osman Nuri Kabaktepe attended the ceremony.
Located on the coastal area between the famed Beylerbeyi Palace and Adile Sultan Palace, the mosque revived from the ashes depicts its former original look overlooking the body of mesmerizing blue waters.
