The square-planned mosque built in the 16th century by the Ottoman vizier Ahmet Pasha has undergone various restoration works over 500 years. The comprehensive restoration work on the mosque started in January 2022 by the Edirne Directorate of Foundations. The restoration works were carried out simultaneously in the interior and exterior using colorful stones that are specific to the region and appropriate to the original design of the mosque.
The stones were extracted from closed quarries by the restoration team and processed in a workshop set up in the mosque courtyard. Yellow stones were used in the minaret, while green tones were used on the outer facade of the mosque. The minaret, where the internal and external facade works have mostly been completed, is now being finished with handcrafted details by the teams. It is expected that the mosque will be reopened for worship within the year.
Ahmet Saraç, the Director of Edirne Foundation Region, stated that the historic mosque inherited from the Ottoman era underwent a comprehensive restoration. Saraç mentioned that most of the restoration works have been completed, ensuring that the mosque will be passed on to future generations safely. Saraç recalled that the historic building had serious structural problems before the restoration works began. Structural reinforcements were made as necessary, and after modeling, it was decided to dismantle the minaret down to its base and rebuild it.
Saraç highlighted the mosque’s distinctive feature of using original stones. He emphasized the efforts put into ensuring that the restoration was carried out authentically. Saraç explained that the mosque is known for the use of green and yellow stones, which are specific to the Keşan region. Since there were no active quarries in the region at the start of the restoration works, efforts were made to locate quarries to source the necessary stones. Through research, the team found quarries and extracted the stones themselves. The stones were then shaped in a stone workshop set up in the mosque courtyard, ensuring that the minaret and outer facade stones were produced according to the original design. Handcrafted works and landscaping of the surroundings are still ongoing, with the goal of completing the restoration work and reopening the mosque for worship within the year.
