In Banja Luka, the renovated Arnaudija Mosque will be ceremonially opened today

(Patria) - In Banja Luka, the renovated Arnaudija Mosque will be ceremonially opened today.

The central ceremony begins at 11 a.m. with a cultural-educational program, with live TV broadcast on BHRT and BIR TV, until the first call to prayer at 1 p.m.

The program will be performed by many prominent participants, and the presence of numerous guests is planned.

A welcoming address will be given by hafiz Muamer-ef. Okanović, the chief imam of Banja Luka, Mayor Draško Stanivuković, and other officials.

This will be followed by speeches from representatives of the Waqf Directorates of Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, state officials of our country, as well as Turkey.

With a message from the Reis-ul-ulema Husein-ef. Kavazović, the ceremony enters the final phase of the opening of Arnaudija.

After the prayer with takbirs, officials will cut the ribbon and proceed to the entrance porch of the mosque, where the Reis-ul-ulema will open the mosque.

After the joint noon prayer, the gates of the courtyard and the doors of the mosque will be open from 2 p.m., so that all interested parties can visit the mosque.

The protocol on financing the reconstruction of the Arnaudija Mosque was signed between the Waqf Directorate of the Islamic Community and the General Directorate of Waqfs of Turkey on October 11, 2016.

The foundation stone was laid on April 22, 2017, during the seventh manifestation "Days of Waqfs in BiH", when the start of its reconstruction was also formalized.

The reconstruction of the mosque, including interior painting, ablution facilities with wet rooms, complete exterior and courtyard landscaping with graves, was completed at the end of 2023. The reconstruction cost about six million marks.

Several thousand guests are expected at the opening, and security will be provided by members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, who have a special plan of security measures due to the opening of the Arnaudija Mosque.

The Banja Luka Police Administration announced that it is taking enhanced security measures on the occasion of the cultural-religious event of the opening of the newly built Arnaudija Mosque.

"We remind citizens that on the said day, a complete traffic ban will be in effect in the city of Banja Luka from 7 a.m. until necessary on the section of the main road MI 101 (section of the road Banja Luka - Srpske Toplice), parts of Bulevar cara Dušana, Braće Mažar and majke Marije, Meše Selimovića, Branka Majstorovića, and Simeuna Đaka streets.

During the traffic ban, public transport lines that run through the mentioned streets will be rerouted via alternative routes.

Also, on the main road MI-101, a change in the traffic regime will be in effect, which includes a ban on traffic for vehicles over 3.5 tons of total weight, which will be rerouted to the Eastern Transit from the direction of Laktaši, at the intersection with the roundabout in Ivana Gorana Kovačića - Marije Dimić - Krajiških brigada street, and from the direction of Mrkonjić Grad, on the main road MI-101, traffic will be rerouted to the bridge in the settlement of Srpske Toplice in Manjačkih ustanika street.

Catering facilities located near the Arnaudija building in Braće Mažar and majke Marije, Bulevar cara Dušana, and Branka Majstorovića streets will be prohibited from operating from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., while in catering facilities in Meše Selimovića, Vojvode Momčila, and Simeuna Đaka streets, serving alcohol will be prohibited during the mentioned period.

"We advise citizens who will attend the opening to respect the orders of police officers on the ground, and for easier movement and to avoid crowds, not to carry backpacks and bags, and to definitely have an identification document with them. We remind media representatives, other entities, and citizens that for security reasons, the use of drones is prohibited," the police announced.