Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) Wednesday announced the successful completion of restoration works on Ethiopia’s historic mosque which was damaged during the last civil war.
The Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, located in the village of Nejashi in Ethiopia’s Tigray region is widely regarded as the first Muslim settlement in Africa and required some renovation after it was repeatedly targeted by the protagonists to the conflict.
The project, carried out with TİKA’s support, enabled the restoration of this historically significant site, which suffered considerable damage.
The Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, believed to be the first destination of Muslim migration and a symbol of the hospitality shown by the Abyssinian King Najashi, stands as one of TİKA’s most esteemed restoration efforts, a statement to APA said.
Originally restored in 2019, the complex sustained damage during the civil conflict between 2020 and 2022.
As part of the renewed renovation works led by TİKA, key structural components, including the tomb’s dome, the mosque’s minaret, as well as the walls and wooden elements of the multipurpose hall, were repaired.
Additional restoration addressed deterioration caused by time and weather throughout the site.
TIKA said in the statement ”the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, one of the most cherished examples of our shared historical and cultural heritage abroad, has been preserved for future generations”.
Through this project, TİKA said it has not only safeguarded an important symbol of Islamic history in Africa but also reinforced bonds of friendship and cultural solidarity with Ethiopia.
WN/as/APA