Free socks to be distributed to visitors of Selimiye Mosque

EDİRNE – Cihan News Agency

CİHAN Photo

Guests of the iconic Selimiye Mosque in Turkey’s northwestern province of Edirne will soon be given socks free of charge to wear while visiting the mosque.

Edirne Mufti Emrullah Üzüm said the free sock distribution was going to begin soon to avoid any problems regarding the cleanliness of the rugs inside the mosque. 

“The sock application will start very soon. There are sometimes people from our community that come to the mosque accidentally without socks, especially in the summer season. They will be handed socks free of charge at the entrance of the mosque. They will wear the socks and then enter the mosque,” said Üzüm. 

The mufti said the mosque’s cleaning system was highly developed and they did not have a problem with bad smells inside the mosque, adding they were very keen to maintain the good hygiene of the mosque.
 
The Selimiye Mosque was built by Mimar Sinan, also known as Sinan the Architect, by the command of Sultan Selim II between 1569 and 1575. The Selimiye Mosque, which Mimar Sinan referred to as his “masterpiece,” hosts thousands of local and foreign tourists.

The number of tourists increased after the mosque was listed under the UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. 

Tourists not dressed in appropriate clothing to visit the historic Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul have been provided specially designed clothes since 2013, according to a regulation issued by the Tourism Ministry.
Female tourists were made to wear headscarves along with dresses that cover their entire bodies, and male tourists who wear sleeveless shirts, t-shirts and shorts were also provided for under the special dress codes. Tourists were not charged for the use of the clothes.