President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “We have restored the Selimiye Mosque, one of the most aesthetic works of not only Turkish-Islamic architecture but also of the world architecture, to its original form and opened it to worship again today. Our restoration process, which lasted 4 years, was the most comprehensive repair work in Selimiye’s 450-year history.” he said.
President Erdoğan attended the Opening of the Selimiye Mosque Şerifi for Worship After Restoration and the Mass Opening and Turnkey Ceremony of the Completed Facilities and Projects, held in Selimiye Mosque Square.
Greeting the participants at the beginning of his speech, Erdoğan said, “Edirne is such a city that it has no equal, its soil is musky, its water is kevser.” He expressed that he was very pleased to be in Edirne and to make up for his longing with the people of Edirne.
Erdoğan said, “Praise be to God Almighty, who brought us together once again by making the openings, services and investments possible. May the souls of our ancestors who entrusted Edirne to us by making it a homeland, decorating it like a pearl with works of art and preparing it for new conquests rest in peace. Greetings to all my brothers who proudly carry the identity of being from Edirne and belonging to Edirne like a medal on their hearts. In the person of you, Yahya Kemal “I send my greetings and affection to my brothers and sisters living in every district and every neighborhood of Edirne, the mother of the capitals that the Turkish state sees as its origin. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your love, for your commitment to the covenant, and for the trust you have shown us.” he said.
Stating that Edirne has a special place in his heart and that his love for Edirne is like the sea, Erdoğan said, “Our love for Edirne is like rivers, like Meriç, like the Danube, especially like Tunca. Our love for Edirne is like mountain ranges. Our love for Edirne is with the love of alperens, raiders, conquerors who opened and ended eras, and architects who flourished the city.” fermented.” he said.
President Erdoğan stated that Edirne is not an ordinary city, it is a school that dreams of a world empire, heralds the conquest of Istanbul, and every street smells of history, and added:
“Edirne is the peace of Meriç, the elegance of Tunca, the magnificence of Sarayiçi. These are the prayers that have been echoing in the public squares of Edirne for centuries. Kırkpınar’s wrestler’s breath is the bridge of brotherhood that extends from the Balkans to Anatolia. Edirne has been our gate opening to the Balkans for centuries, the headquarters of conquests, the center of science, art and architecture. Today, in the peace of history, in the shadow of our ancestors “We are fortunate to bring beautiful works of art to Edirne, the ancient capital of the Ottoman Empire, the humble but headstrong gate of the Balkans, the city of sultans.”
Stating that he went to Selimiye Mosque before coming to the ceremony area, Erdoğan said, “Selimiye is a magnificent work in which Mimar Sinan’s high artistic genius is engraved on stone, marble, time and place. It is our title deed showing that these lands will forever be the homeland of Turkish Islam with its four elegant minarets reaching to the sky. See how the late Arif Nihat Asya describes Selimiye, which Mimar Sinan called ‘my masterwork’, ‘It is inherited from the Selim period. “A magnificent legacy, a glorious gift from the Sinans, the signature of power, the seal of art, a dome of domes. Those happy brave men who roared, reared, ran, that happy faith learned to cross borders not from birds, but from your call to prayer.”
Noting that there were 32 thousand citizens in the ceremony area on the occasion of the program, Erdoğan said, “We have restored the Selimiye Mosque, one of the most aesthetic works of not only Turkish-Islamic architecture but also of world architecture, in accordance with its original and opened it to worship again today. Our restoration process, which lasted 4 years, was the most comprehensive repair work in Selimiye’s 450-year history.” he said.
(To be continued)
