Sinan-beg Mosque in Čajniče Officially Opened

(Patria) - The Sinan-beg Mosque in Čajniče was officially opened today with the presence of numerous believers, high-ranking guests from our country, as well as representatives of the Republic of Turkey, the country that helped and financed the realization of this significant project.

The ceremony was attended by the Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina Husein-ef. Kavazović, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Denis Zvizdić, Director of the Vakuf Directorate Dr. Senaid Zajimović, Hayrullah Çelebi, Deputy General Director of the General Directorate of Foundations of the Republic of Turkey, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Turkey Yılmaz Tunç, Mayor of Čajniče Municipality Goran Karadžić, and other guests.

"Today, we are gifting Čajniče this architectural gem. We do this with joy and an open heart. This gem belongs to the entire city, to each of its residents, and to all of Bosnia. I believe that from today, life in this place will be different, sweeter, and more meaningful, and that it will attract many good things and blessings to the city, and that the curve of life will continue to move upwards, towards life, not towards death," said the Reis-ul-ulema.

He called for enjoying the beauty of this building and taking care of it.

"And do not let the mosque be alone, because our tradition says that there are three lonely people in the world: the Quran in a house that is not read, a mosque in a neighborhood where prayers are not performed, and a good person in a corrupt society. I call on Muslims to visit the mosque, to perform prayers in it, to ennoble themselves morally, and to do what is pleasing to God; I call on non-Muslims to respect it and enjoy its beauty, and to preserve its sanctity as they preserve the sanctity of their places of worship. From now on, forever," the Reis-ul-ulema stated, and then opened the mosque and declared it a vakuf (endowment) of the Islamic Community.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Denis Zvizdić expressed his satisfaction with attending this ceremony, because "this is the restoration of another piece of the cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the restoration of a building that represents a material expression of the civilizations that have inhabited this space".

"Today's ceremony has a motto - God is beautiful and loves beauty. Indeed, although we cannot comprehend the way God creates, we can see what God has created, and we can see that everything He created is created in measure and perfection. There is no beauty without perception, there is no beauty without proportion. This mosque, when you look at it, is a great work of art for two reasons - because it has beauty in proportion and because when we connect such beauty with its spiritual component, an emotion is created. It has proportion, emotion, and there is no great work of art if it does not have beautiful proportions and if it does not evoke emotion. This mosque is a great work because of the emotion it evokes and the spiritual message it conveys," Zvizdić said, among other things.

Director Zajimović emphasized that the Sinan-beg Mosque is once again a monument to the spiritual, cultural, and civilizational strength and victory of good in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The renovation of this mosque represents the renewal of our faith and our spirit. Today shows the strength of unity and our determination to preserve our cultural and religious heritage for future generations. All religious communities have always been a cohesive factor in society. By building the Sinan-beg Mosque, the Islamic Community invites all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to coexistence, peace, love, tolerance, and symbolically, through the open doors of the Sinan-beg Mosque, opens its doors to all citizens and all people of good will," Zajimović stated.

He also expressed his satisfaction that the Vakuf Directorate, by signing the protocol for the reconstruction of the Sinan-beg Mosque with the General Directorate of Foundations of the Republic of Turkey, had the opportunity to participate in the revival of this great edifice.

"This is the sixteenth realized project of the two directorates. The realization of four projects in Nevesinje, Mostar, and Tuzla is underway. Five protocols have been signed and are awaiting realization, related to facilities in Banja Luka, Rogatica, and Mostar. The preparation for signing three new protocols is in progress," he stated.

As Čelebi emphasized, the Sinan-beg Mosque is not just a place of prayer, but also an important part of cultural and historical heritage. He pointed out that the mosque had been a symbol of brotherhood, peace, and tolerance in this region for centuries.

"This has strengthened our unity and solidarity. Today, by reviving this holy temple, we are strengthening our ties with the past and leaving an important legacy for future generations. The reopening of the Sinan-beg Mosque for worship to God will further strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries and will play an important role in passing on our faith and culture to future generations. The doors of this mosque will always remain open as a symbol of peace, tranquility, and love," he said.

The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Turkey, Yılmaz Tunç, conveyed greetings from the entire Turkish nation and the president, emphasizing that Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina are friendly countries.

"The peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey share a common history and common cultural values. Our ancestors who came to these lands to establish justice actually strengthened and formed bridges of love. At the center of this relationship is effort and respect between us. Today, we are shoulder to shoulder with you, today we are together to revive our common heritage," he emphasized.

The President of the Executive Board of the Mejlis of the Islamic Community Čajniče, Anera Zagrljača, thanked everyone who contributed to the official opening of the mosque.

"Today we are here to witness that we are alive, that we have risen, and that we do not give up on beauty, coexistence, and friendship. On behalf of the Mejlis of Čajniče, I thank everyone for being with us, for deciding to share the joy of life with us, for supporting good and living well," she said.

Mayor Goran Karadžić said that Čajniče is richer by another beautiful building from today.

"We are richer by a building of beautiful form, a beautiful religious, historical, cultural building, which will be a pearl in this city alongside other structures, and will provide opportunities for development and tourism for this city. Therefore, this building has other values besides its religious function. It is no coincidence that this is happening today. It is also Petrovdan, a great holiday for Orthodox Christians, and these two wonderful gatherings are fifty meters apart, and people are celebrating at both," he said.

After the ceremony, the Friday prayer was performed, and the preacher was the Mufti of Goražde, Remzija-ef. Pitić.

"Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance and haughtiness stifle beauty. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is beautiful, and his warning is beauty. Islam is beautiful, devotion to God is beauty! Being guided is beauty, and being grateful to God is beauty. This day is beauty, and this community is beauty. This house of God is beauty, Sinan-beg's need to build it is beauty, building it for these six years is beauty. And these people who prepared this day for us are beauty, and our gathering during the preparation is beauty, your arrival today is beauty," the Mufti said in his sermon.

He also emphasized that "the martyrs of Srebrenica are beauty, and the martyrs of July 15th in Turkey are beauty, and the martyrs of Gaza are beauty".

"And let their martyrdom be beauty for us. All 18,000 worlds are beauty. And you, brother and sister, are beauty. Awaken this beauty of God's breath within you and beautify yourself and your surroundings, and it will be beautiful for you. Beauty resides within you. Do everything to make it beautiful; God is beautiful and loves beauty," he concluded.

The 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 list of world heritage as a first-category monument.

Throughout history, it has experienced the fate of other mosques in BiH, and it was completely demolished for the last time on June 8, 1992.

Its reconstruction began shortly after the laying of the foundation stone in 2016, and the funds were provided by the Vakuf Directorate of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the General Directorate of Foundations of the Republic of Turkey.