ABTTF President: “We are satisfied that Yeni Mosque in Thessaloniki will be reserved for the upcoming Eid prayers. We wish that Yeni Mosque would be reserved not only for Eid prayers but also for all prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, the sultan of eleven months, so that Muslims living in Thessaloniki could live and keep alive their traditions and customs.”
In a statement delivered by the General Secretariat of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports of Greece, it was indicated that the historical Yeni Mosque from the Ottoman period in Thessaloniki will be opened to worship for the Eid prayer in the context of preparations for the month of Ramadan.
In the statement, it was noted that Yeni Mosque will be reserved for Muslims living in Thessaloniki and Muslim tourists visiting the city to perform the Eid prayers on Wednesday, 10 April.
Yeni Mosque, the last mosque built during the Ottoman period in Thessaloniki, was reserved by the municipality for Eid prayers for the last time in 2018.
We are satisfied that the historical Yeni Mosque in Thessaloniki, the second largest city of our country, where thousands of Muslims live, will be reserved for the upcoming Eid prayers. I hope this decision will set an example for Athens, the capital of our country, and other regions, and the mosques closed to worship in these places will also be reserved for Eid prayers. We wish that Yeni Mosque would be reserved not only for Eid prayers but also for all prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, the sultan of eleven months, so that Muslims living in Thessaloniki could live and keep alive their traditions and customs. Our hope is that this decision, which is a positive development for our freedom of religion and worship in our country, will be continued and Yeni Mosque will be reserved permanently for Friday prayers in the future’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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