The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya Mosque in Damascus reopened Saturday after 15 years of closure, following restoration and rehabilitation, state news agency SANA reported.
Endowments Minister Mohammad Abu al-Khair Shukri inaugurated the mosque at a ceremony attended by the ministers of finance, culture and tourism, the Damascus governor and other officials.
Shukri emphasized the site's educational and charitable role as well as its religious importance. Culture Minister Mohammad Yassin al-Saleh described the reopening as part of Syria's recovery and preservation of its heritage.
Built in the 16th century during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the complex was designed by architect Mimar Sinan. It includes a mosque, school, pilgrims' guesthouse and soup kitchen.
Source: SANA
File photo: Sulaymaniyya Takiyya complex in Damascus, April 26, 2014. This archival image does not show the current event or present-day conditions. This photograph predates the restoration.
Photo: Khaled ajlani, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Original photograph · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and compressed for delivery; full scene preserved.
