A special “101 Vakıf Heritage Works for the 101st Year” mass inauguration ceremony was held at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, celebrating the restoration of historical monuments across the TRNC, Türkiye, and Albania.
Among the sites honoured was the Selimiye Mosque in Lefkoşa—one of Cyprus’ most iconic landmarks—which was officially reopened for worship by President Ersin Tatar.
The ceremony in Ankara began with a promotional film and featured speeches by Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, and General Director of Foundations Sinan Aksu.
President Erdoğan highlighted the significance of preserving cultural identity and announced that 101 vakıf (foundation) sites were restored over the past year, including Selimiye Mosque.
“Our civilizational fabric, enriched through centuries, is both unique and exceptional,” he remarked.
Simultaneously, a reopening ceremony was held at Selimiye Mosque itself in the TRNC, attended by top officials including President Tatar, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Parliament Speaker Ziya Öztürkler, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri, Deputy Prime Minister Fikri Ataoğlu, and Religious Affairs President Hakan Moral.
In his speech, President Tatar praised the efforts of Türkiye’s Directorate General of Foundations and stressed the mosque’s 450-year role in the spiritual and cultural life of Turkish Cypriots since the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus in 1571.
He also recalled the mosque’s historical significance as the site of a 1948 rally against Enosis. Concluding his address, Tatar declared:
“With the reopening of Selimiye Mosque in your presence and with the support of President Erdoğan, the Turkish Cypriot people have been spiritually revived once again.”
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