Konya Metropolitan Municipality has completed the faithful restoration of the Habib-i Neccar Mosque in Hatay, which was destroyed in the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, and has made the mosque ready for prayer once again.
On that dark night when thousands of people lost their lives and tens of thousands were injured and left homeless, Konya Metropolitan Municipality mobilized all its resources to help Hatay stand on its feet again.
Konya Metropolitan Municipality has completed its meticulously carried out restoration works at the Habib-i Neccar Mosque, regarded as Anatolia’s first mosque, which was largely destroyed in the earthquake, and has made the historic mosque ready for prayer once again.
Describing the meticulous work carried out at the historic mosque, Uğur İbrahim Altay spoke about the efforts undertaken by Konya Metropolitan Municipality and the district municipalities from the very first moments of the earthquake, as well as the support and aid provided by the people of Konya.
Continuing his remarks, Uğur İbrahim Altay said:
“We have been carrying out intensive work here for more than two years. Today, we have reached the final stage, and God willing, we are planning to officially open the mosque on Saturday with the participation of the President of Türkiye. There was severe destruction here. The dome had completely collapsed, and the minaret had been destroyed. First, the debris was carefully cleared and the stones were numbered. Then, efforts were made to realign the qibla wall so that it could be reused, followed by a reinforcement process. After that, the other walls were reconstructed, and most importantly, a wooden dome was built on wooden beams. To complete it in accordance with the original structure, the dome was plastered from the inside and covered with lead on the outside. Inside the mosque, small details were intentionally left at three points to reflect the traces of the earthquake, and the decorative works were completed in line with the original survey drawings available to us. Today, after cleaning, our mosque has been made ready for prayer.”
