For the first time after 102 years, the Geni Mosque was opened for Bairami
Opened, as decided by General Secretariat of Religious Affairsthe Geni Mosque in Thessaloniki for Ramadan, the first time since 1922.
About 100 people came early in the morning, while the presence of the police at the entrance and in the surrounding area was discreet. The prayer started at 7:30 by an imam, chosen by the Greek state.
The Yeni Mosque, an important monument of the Turkish period in Thessaloniki. Muslim Greek citizens are approximately 125,000 and live mainly in Thrace.
In Attica, Muslim refugees and immigrants are estimated at 250,000, with the largest community being the Pakistani. Of course, there are many less in various regions of the country (Ilia, Crete, Thebes), to meet the needs of agricultural crops in labor.
It should be noted that during the fasting (approximately from sunrise to sunset) of Ramadan, eating and drinking is not allowed of any food or liquid (there are exceptions which are provided in detail) and that prayer times are not common throughout the country, but vary.
The Muslims used to come to the Jeni Mosque, leave their shoes at the entrance and participate in the prayer, for the needs of which the paintings in the space were covered with large white cloths. The imam performed the prayer in Arabic, while the sermon was delivered in both Arabic and Greek.
The Geni Mosque was built in 1902 by the Italian architect Vitaliano Pozelli and served as a place of worship for Jews who had converted to Islam, the so-called Donmedes. After the exchange (1923-1924), it briefly housed refugees, and from 1925 to 1963 it was used as the city’s archaeological museum.
The building combines the Muslim tradition with the architectural rhythms of its time. In its forecourt is kept a rich collection of marble sculptures from the Roman era and early Christian times, sarcophagi, tombstones, reliefs, honorary and funerary columns, etc. from the whole of Thessaloniki.
Source: Skai
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.
