The Protocol Regarding The Restoration Of The Keçiova Mosque In Algeria Has Been Signed

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, which has undertaken the repair and restoration of a number of different structures belonging to the Ottoman era, will be restoring the historical Keçiova Mosque located in the capital of Algeria. The protocol regarding the restoration of the Keçiova Mosque was signed in the presence of the Algerian Minister of Zoning, Housing and Urban Planning and the Turkish Ambassador to Algeria, by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Chairman Dr. Serdar Çam and Algerian Ministry of Zoning, Housing and Urban Planning General Secretary Ali Boulares.

The discussion of a protocol regarding the restoration of the Keçiova Mosque was last brought up on the agenda during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest meeting in Algeria with Prime Minister Abdülmelik Sellal. TİKA responded to Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdoğan’s desire to have the restoration on the mosque started. It was signed in the presence of the Algerian Minister of Zoning, Housing and Urban Planning and the Turkish Ambassador to Algeria, by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Chairman Dr. Serdar Çam and Algerian Ministry of Zoning, Housing and Urban Planning General Secretary Ali Boulares.

After the protocol-signing ceremony, the Turkish and Algerian authorities said that this project will revitalize the shared history of the two countries in our present day and serve as a beginning to future cooperation. In the statement by Algerian Minister of Zoning, Housing and Urban Planning Abdülmecid Tebon, he said that the restoration being done by TİKA will set an example for the work that is being done in Algeria to restore other historical structures.

Project planning work will be started by TİKA within the scope of the project to restore the Keçiova Mosque. In order to transform the Keçiova Mosque to its original state, the subsequently added baptizing rooms and bells will be removed, finials will be placed on the minarets and at the end of the restoration work an inscription showing that the restoration work was done by Turkey will be placed at the site.

It is known that the Keçiova Mosque located in Alt Casbah was built in 1209, repaired by the Ottomans in 1612 and expanded in 1792 by Hasan Pasha. During the French colonial period it was used for 130 years as a church and after independence was gained, was turned back into a mosque. In contrast to the Mağrip Mosques in which a single square-shaped minaret is used, the Keçiova Mosque has two minarets, as a result of Ottoman architectural influence.

The Keçiova Mosque constructed in the Ottoman era in 1612 is considered an architectural masterpiece. It has been said that the name “Keçiova” (goat plain) was given to the Mosque because of a goat market nearby. The mosque which was converted to a church under French occupation in 1830 was later returned to a mosque in 1962 when Algeria became independent and was then opened to worship. The Keçiova Mosque had been closed in 2007 after experts warned that if urgent restoration was not done the structure would pose a great risk to the public.