First Turkish mosque in Anatolia to be opened for service

KARS

The first Turkish mosque in Anatolia, located in the eastern province of Kars’ Ani district, will be opened to service on Aug. 16, after a year-long restoration.

“The Ebu’l Menuçehr Mosque will be open on the 957th anniversary of the conquest of the Ani district,” Kars Governor Türker Öküz told Demirören News Agency on Aug. 4.

The two-story Ebu’l Menuçehr Mosque was constructed by a local manager, Menuçehr, who was appointed by Seljuk Sultan Alparslan after entering Ani in 1064, according to the governor.

“Apart from restoration, an excavation process is ongoing in the region with a team of 35 experts,” the governor said.

Though the mosque underwent a partial restoration between 2008 and 2010, all gaps and holes on the outer structure of the building were not repaired.

After the mosque will become a closed structure to be open for service, a new restoration process will begin inside the mosque after the summer, the official noted.