50,000 KM for the Reconstruction of the Emperor's Mosque in Foča

During yesterday's visit to Foča by the Chairman of the Centar Municipal Council Nedžad Ajnadžić and a member of the Management Board of the Association 'Istočna Bosna' in Sarajevo, along with Šaćir Hrustemović, Secretary of the Association, and Munib Milišić, Deputy President of the Municipal Council Commission for Local Communities and Cooperation with Municipalities and Cities, a check for 50,000 KM was presented for the reconstruction of the destroyed Emperor's Mosque, a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

The funds were allocated by the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports at the initiative of the aforementioned association.

The donation handover took place in front of the Atik Ali-pašina Mosque, in whose courtyard are also the premises of the Majlis of the Islamic Community in Foča, on behalf of which the check was received by the Gorazde Mufti Remzija efendija Pitić. He emphasized that this location has its symbolism because the Atik Ali-pašina Mosque is the oldest mosque in Foča and the first mosque rebuilt in this city after the recent war when it was burned down.

- The reconstruction of the Emperor's Mosque is largely completed thanks to this type of assistance. Today's visit and donation have multiple significances for us. The most important thing is that our people gather around a common good and, with joint efforts, do what has been the essence of our culture, history, identity, and community for centuries - said Pitić.

The Emperor's Mosque was built in 1500-1501 during the reign of Sultan Bayezid Valije II, which is why it received this name. Next to the mosque, buildings for the mortuary, ablution, and premises for the needs of the Islamic Community were constructed. Around the mosque was a large cemetery with many tombstones, including the grave with the tombstone of Sultan Bayezid's daughter - Sultanija Fatima, as well as the tombstones of distinguished citizens and founders of Foča.

In April 1992, the mosque was set on fire, mined, and demolished to the ground. The remains were transported and, it is assumed, thrown into the Drina riverbed, and the plateau where the mosque stood was turned into a landfill.

In 2004, the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments declared the site and the remains of the architectural complex - the Emperor's Mosque a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The reconstruction of the Emperor's Mosque in Foča began with the laying of the foundation stone on October 22, 2012.