Sinan-beg Mosque, mined and demolished in 1992, reopens its doors on July 12

(Patria) - Sinan-beg Mosque in Čajniče, which was mined and completely demolished in 1992 along with all other structures that made up the mosque's architectural complex, will be solemnly opened on July 12 this year, starting at 12:00 PM.

As Avdo-ef. Šišić, the chief imam of the Islamic Community Council of Čajniče, told MINA Agency, the opening of the mosque in Čajniče represents for them a "victory of good over evil, truth over falsehood, and above all a kind of personal victory for every Bosniak from Čajniče who is connected to this congregation and this very mosque."

"I have noticed, ever since the month of Ramadan when we organized the first tarawih prayer in Sinan-beg Mosque, great excitement among the congregation, great joy. For us, this is one of those historic moments that will remain etched in our memories and that we will gladly talk about as long as we live. Everyone, including our congregation and our fellow citizens of Orthodox faith, believes that this building gives a special charm and beauty to the entire town center," he said.

Accordingly, the motto of the mosque opening ceremony is: Allah is beautiful and loves beauty!

"With these words, I do not diminish the significance, beauty, and importance of other landmarks of Čajniče and its surroundings, which, thank God, we have plenty of, even though Čajniče is a small town. But Sinan-beg Mosque is truly a jewel that exudes special beauty, and believe me, a special attire," Šišić emphasized.

Reflecting on past events, he stated that we "must not be hostages of the past and must not be hostages of those policies from the 1990s, which are still present today."

"We must distance ourselves from that, because that is precisely what separates us from one another. The people can and want to be together, I state this responsibly! For example, we are cooperating now, with each other, specifically regarding this event and anything else. Namely, on July 12, besides the opening of Sinan-beg Mosque in Čajniče, it is also St. Peter's Day. Is it impossible for both Muslims and Orthodox Christians in the same city, on the same day, at the same time, to celebrate their holidays, festivities, and the like?" he stated.



In addition to the mentioned motto, Šišić added that the goal is to "show that we are there for each other, that we live together, and that we want to share everything together, both what is common, which is certainly caring for our neighbor, and what distinguishes us, and differences are not a deficiency but a richness."

"Also, our Prophet, peace be upon him, emphasized good neighborly relations so much that the companions said they thought the neighbor would be included in the inheritance. On the other hand, the biblical commandment 'Love your neighbor,' who does it refer to? To parents, children? Is that all? No, it is not! It refers to your neighborhood. Therefore, let us strive to understand these messages properly and act and live accordingly," the chief imam stressed.

He also invited the faithful to share the joy of this day with them.

"We thank the Lord for this blessing! We pray to Him to strengthen our steps and empower us, to proudly and steadfastly carry the banner of Islam in these areas. Praise be to Allah, Who has enabled me to serve in Čajniče during these days when we are solemnly opening the mosque of Sinan-beg Boljanić. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed in any way to the rebuilding of this beauty, especially the Turkish Directorate of Foundations, which financed this project.

Finally, I take this opportunity to invite our faithful to be in Čajniče on July 12 and to, and this is very important, show calmness and dignity, follow the instructions of the police and stewards, not to bring anything with us that we do not need, except, of course, personal items without which we cannot travel and prayer rugs.

We pray to Allah to make it easy for us and unite us in goodness. Amen," Avdo-ef. Šišić said in an interview with MINA Agency.

Sinan-beg Mosque was first built in 1570 on the initiative of Sinan-paša Boljanić, the son-in-law of the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed-paša Sokolović, and due to its historical and artistic values, it was included on the World Heritage List as a first-category monument.

Throughout history, it shared the fate of other mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was last completely demolished on June 8, 1992. Its reconstruction began shortly after the laying of the cornerstone in 2016, and the funds were provided by the Directorate of Foundations of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the General Directorate of Foundations of the Republic of Turkey.