Restored Mosque in Akhaltsikhe Will Have Golden Dome

In accordance to verbal agreement between the Ministers of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia and Turkey, the Akhaltsikhe Mosque will be rehabilitated.

The Mosque, which is already being rehabilitated in Akhaltsikhe, was built in 1752 by Azi Akhmed Pasha. The Mosque is located in Rabat, in the area of History Museum.

The rehabilitation of the Mosque is hampered in Rabat at the moment because of frost, as the workers clarified.

The builders also said that the Mosque will have golden dome. The rehabilitation activities are funded from the state budget.

The Ministry of Culture of Georgia does not speak about the details of their agreement with Turkey and state until official agreement is signed, they will not comment on the issue. According to the ministry, in exchange of rehabilitation of monuments of the Georgian Cultural Heritage – Ishkani and Oshki, Turkey will rehabilitate Turkish Cultural Monuments in Georgia. The agreement about construction of Azizei Mosque in Batumi and rehabilitation of Akhaltsikhe Mosque was already reached.

Part of Akhaltsikhe residents thinks the Mosque shall not have a chapel function after rehabilitation; another part believes that it will be justified only if religious services are allowed in Georgian Churches in Turkish territory too.

Nowadays, about 26 families of Muslim Meskhs live in Akhaltsikhe and Abastumani districts.

The article prepared within the project “Covering Regional Issues” with financial support of the Eurasian Partnership Foundation. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the newspaper “Batumelebi”|Netgazeti and cannot be taken as to reflect the views of the Eurasian Partnership Foundation.