Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka Demolished 26 Years Ago

(Patria) - Mosque Day is observed on May 7, the day when the Ferhad Pasha (Ferhadija) Mosque in Banja Luka was demolished 26 years ago, and three years ago on the same day it was ceremonially opened after a 15-year renovation.

On May 7, 1993, the Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka was demolished with explosive. Its remains after the demolition were moved to secret locations in order to permanently hide the material traces of this historical and civilizational symbol.

"In our collective memory, Ferhadija is a synonym for the destruction of Muslim sacral architecture, which took place according to a pre-determined plan and goal. This is confirmed by data on the destruction or severe damage of 921 mosques and 259 mesjids," reads the sermon of Reis Husein ef. Kavazović on the occasion of Mosque Day.

During the aggression against BiH, 614 mosques were demolished. On the territory controlled by the Army of Republika Srpska, 534 mosques were demolished, while on the territory controlled by the HVO, 80 were demolished. More than 80 percent of the 1,144 mosques that existed in BiH before 1992 were destroyed or damaged.

On the eve of Mosque Day, the renovated Aladža Mosque in Foča was opened on May 4. After almost five centuries of existence, the Serbian authorities mined and demolished it to the ground on August 2, 1992. Fragments remaining after the explosion were scattered across various locations around the city, some parts were buried with earth in city landfills, in an attempt to erase any trace of its existence.