A fire broke out in the historic Grand Mosque of Bayezidt in Didymoteicho, north-eastern Greece, in the early morning hours of Wednesday. The fire broke out around 3 o’ clock in the morning and spread very quickly throughout the monument. With the help of fire brigades and army units, the fire was extinguished at around 7 a.m.
However, the entire amazing roof was destroyed.
Damage to the interior and the walls remains so far unknown.
The damage is considered as “incalculable.”
The causes of the fire are not known, so far. But there have been construction works underway in the context of restoration of the mosque that is considered to be the oldest in Europe.
Skai TV reported of a fire that had broken out on Tuesday noon during construction works on the roof. The fire was limited and extinguished by workers. “Maybe the fire revived later,” the network said.
The Grand Mosque of Bayezid is located in the center of the town of Didymoteicho, very close to other buildings. It is not in operation. It is characterized as a monument and belongs to the Ministry of Culture.
The Celebi Sultan Mehmed Mosque is also known as the Bayezid Mosque and the Great Mosque is an early 15th-century Ottoman mosque in Didymoteicho.
The 17th-century Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi records that the mosque construction begun under Sultan Bayezid I (r. 1389–1402) and concluded under Sultan Mehmed I (r. 1413–1421). The mosque was completed and inaugurated in March 1420.
The Grand Mosque is a square structure, approximately 30–32 m on each side, including the walls. The mosque is built with cast stone technique and faced with limestone ashlar blocks. It external walls are ca. 2.2–2.7 m thick. There are two rows of windows, one at floor level and one above.
Its wooden roof had a particular architecture.
The early 15th-century oak roof constitutes “one of the most important wooden monuments in the world” according to A. Bakirtzis author of a study on Ottoman architecture in Greece.
The Grand Mosque is considered by Greek government officials one of the most important Muslim monuments, not only in Greece, but in all of Europe, as being the oldest mosque on European ground. It has been a protected monument since 1946.
Since the late 90s the Ministry of Culture moved into first monument protection actions, while in 2010 it was decided to restoration. Restoration works were to be completed later this year.
The Grans Mosque is located near the old road Traianoupolis – Edirne, along with the external areas it occupies the total area of one acre.
Thursday noon, the Ministry of Culture said that the restoration works will continue.
The restoration is funded by national sources as well as using EU funding programmes.
sources also: didymoteicho.net, thrakinea.gr, wikipedia
Accusations will fly.
A heartwarming news story. In all things there is balance. Now on to the articles about islamists defacing Christian monuments please.
In Greece? Done by Zeus-Worshipers…? Why are Christians and Muslims in Europe anyway? Their gods live in Palestine and Near East and don’t belong to Europe, America and Asutralia.
What? The desecrations in Europe are mostly of Jewish monuments and cemeteries, done by the extreme right. No Christian churches have been attacked as far as I recall: it is only mosques. Someone correct me if my recollections are not correct.
In Germany very recently two young Salafists were sentenced to jail for blowing up a Shikh temple. Churchgoers in Germany have been attacked by migrants, some churches vandalized. On the German countryside, religious statues of Christ, the virgin Mary or roadside crosses have been vandalized. And then of course there was the murder of this priest in France by jihadis. All very well documented. Jewish cemeteries are mostly vandalized by neonazis. Mosques also get attacked. NL two guys were sent to jail for throwing a molotov cocktail at a mosque. But it is not only mosques. Now you know.
No I don’t know. Which churches, and where in Germany? Nor do I accept that churchgoers have been attacked by migants: this is more fake news from the extreme right.
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I doubt that statues of Jesus count as vandalism (especially as idolatry is forbidden in Christian teaching, as well as Judaic and Islamic). There should not be any statues of Jesus or Mary anywhere, according to our religion.
You would find it hard to believe a migrant would do wrong. In your eyes they never do
Kindly stop attributing your made up comments to me. If you can find a post where I say or even imply such a thing, then do so. There is none — because it is a malicious lie invented by you.
Uuuuhhh, ever been in a church? Ever traveled on the German or Austrian country side? Plenty of statues of the crucified Christ everywhere. Virgin Mary and other saints as well. You can find these statues also outside, along roads. Statues like these have been found damaged and vandalized.
As for the attacks on churches and church goers look it up yourself. KTG does not allow links anyway. Hard to find, though, news items on this because the German media watchdog gave “advice” to the media not to mention ethnicity or migrants’ background in their news reporting.
That is called censorship. You know all about that of course.
You are such a waste of space. FYI, my family is devoutly religious (unlike most of the UK and Europe) and I know very well what churches have in them. I am pointing out that organised Christianity goes against its own teachings, whereas Islam does not. That is why images of Mohammed are forbidden, as is usury (interest on money loaned). Both are also forbidden in Christianity, although this is conveniently forgotten now.
As far as I am aware, all of the incidents reported by the far right concerning migrants attacking people were found to be fraudulent inventions — propaganda.
And no, it is not censorship to avoid ethnic background when reporting incidents: it’s actually the law of the EU. When people are convicted of crimes you may report their nationality or ethnicity: doing so before, means that you have a racist agenda.