Relic of the Ottoman Empire Ahmet Aga Mosque returned to the Muslim community in Bulgaria

After a long legal struggle of Veliko Tarnovo Regional Mufti Nutfi Aladdin together with the Regional Muslim Council, the title deed of the Ottoman heirloom mosque, which could not be restored because it had been in the hands of the state for about 80 years, was handed over to the Regional Mufti's Office.

Aladdin, in a statement to AA correspondent, stated that today is a feast day for Muslims living in the Veliko Tarnovo region and said, "This historical monument, the Ahmet Aga Mosque, the heirloom of our ancestors, was returned to Muslims again.

We are experiencing the happiness of this together. After a long process, this Ottoman monument built by Selvili Ahmet Aga in 1814 was returned to the Muslims of Veliko Tarnovo. Praise be to Allah, together with the Regional Mufti's Office, we have successfully concluded this process."

Aladdin pointed out that on the one hand they are happy for the return of the mosque deed to the community, but on the other hand, the state of the building, which is in ruins due to lack of maintenance, is saddening. 

Aladdin continued as follows:

"Unfortunately, the mosque is in a very dilapidated state. It has not been looked after for years. It was simply thrown aside by the state and Muslims were even forbidden to claim it. Today, when we enter it, we see the traces of our ancestors, but we have to make an effort to bring it back to its feet."

Aladdin addressed the whole Islamic world and said, "Come, let's all together bring this beautiful mosque, which our grandfathers entrusted to us, back to its feet, and let the call to prayer be recited here again. Let Muslims pray in this mosque again, let them remember Allah. As the descendants of the Ottomans, we have to keep Islam alive, it is a debt of our neck."

The oldest building in the Suhindol region 

The Mayor of Suhindol, Plamen Chernev, said:

"Muslims should have their own place of worship so that they can feel Suhindol as their home." Stating that the Ahmet Aga Mosque is the oldest known building in the Suhindol region,

Chernev said: "Every resident of Suhindol, regardless of faith, regardless of origin, is aware of all the facts. Whether it is a synagogue, a church or a mosque, people must have a place of worship. It is very important to have a place of worship for every person who wants to pray in peace.

When people think about their ancestors, when they think about the future of their children, they always feel the need to pray."

Emphasising that the municipality would never allow the mosque to be destroyed, Chernev said: "I believe that this place of worship, together with all the necessary deeds and documents, should be transferred to the mufti's office, where it belongs."

Chernev noted: "This building, which is the oldest building in our entire district and has a national and regional historical value, should be the common home of all believers again after it has been repaired and organised. Because if we consider today's vital problems, people need more faith and more reverence for God." 

The Ottoman inscription at the entrance of the Ahmet Aga Mosque says that the mosque was built in 1813-1814 by a person named Selvili Ahmed Aga Çeribaşı. The communist regime, which came to power in Bulgaria in 1944 with a coup d'état, confiscated the deed of the mosque in the first years of its rule and did not allow restoration or repair to the building until the transition to democratisation in 1989. 

Despite its great religious and cultural value, the fate of the mosque remained unchanged during the democratic period due to the uncertainty of its legal status. 

Years of legal efforts by Veliko Tarnovo Regional Mufti Aladdin and the Regional Muslim Council to put an end to this situation and restore the mosque and reopen it for worship resulted in success in 2024.

In 2021, Aladdin also secured the return of the title deed of another historic Ottoman mosque in the same area, built in 1870 by the master builder Amel-i Duyuoğlu, which could not be restored due to the missing title deed. ΑΑΑ