Citizens of Banja Luka are counting the days until the reopening of “Ferhadija“ mosque, which is on UNESCO’s list of protected monuments.
The mosque was damaged by unknown Serbian nationalists on 7th May 1993, and after that, the former government demolished it completely, and discarded its remains in the city dump.
Reconstruction of “Ferhadija“ mosque began in 2001, and more than 10 million BAM was invested in its reconstruction.
“Ferhadija“ was built in 1579 and represented one of the most successful architectural creations from the Ottoman period, and was therefore included in the cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina and later in UNESCO’S list of World heritage sites.
Its builder is unknown, but he was a student of Mimar Sinan. The building of the mosque was financed by Ferhat Pasha Sokolovic. The “Ferhadija” mosque complex also included three tombs: those of Ferhat Pasha, his granddaughter Safikaduna and their bearers, an iron and stone fence with a faucet, a fountain and an old cemetery in the garden.
Later, the complex was complemented with a clock tower built near “Ferhadija“. Currently, final works are being completed at the mosque and its opening is planned for summer 2015.
(Source: nap.ba)
