Renovated Arnaudija Mosque to be Officially Opened in Banja Luka Today

(Patria) - The renovated Arnaudija Mosque will be officially opened in Banja Luka today.

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

The program will be performed by many prominent participants, and the presence of numerous dignitaries 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 reisu-l-ulema Husein-ef. Kavazović, the ceremony will enter its final phase of the opening of Arnaudija.

After the prayer with takbirs, officials will cut the ribbon and proceed towards the mosque's entrance portico, where the reisu-l-ulema will open the mosque.

After the joint noon prayer, the gates of the courtyard and the mosque doors will be open from 2 PM, allowing all interested individuals to 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 event "Days of Waqfs in BiH," when the start of its reconstruction was also formalized.

The reconstruction of the mosque, including interior painting, ablution areas with restrooms, and complete exterior and courtyard landscaping with graves, was completed at the end of 2023. The renovation cost around 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 security plan 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 marking the opening of the newly built Arnaudija Mosque.

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

During the traffic suspension, public passenger transport lines operating on the mentioned streets will be rerouted via alternative routes.

Also, on the main road MI-101, a traffic regime change will be in effect, which includes a ban on traffic for vehicles over 3.5 tons total mass, which will be rerouted to the Eastern Transit from the direction of Laktaši, at the roundabout intersection in Ivana Gorana Kovačića - Marije Dimić - Krajiških brigada streets, 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 on Braće Mažar i majke Marije, Bulevar cara Dušana, and Branka Majstorovića streets will be closed from 7 AM to 5 PM, while in catering facilities on Meše Selimovića, Vojvode Momčila, and Simeuna Đaka streets, alcohol sales will be prohibited during the mentioned period.

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