Greece’s Culture Ministry to take over restoration of Aslan Pasha Mosque in Ioannina
According to local media reports, the ministry will directly manage the project to accelerate conservation efforts for the Ottoman-era monument located in the historic center of Ioannina in northwestern Greece.
€110,000 Restoration Plan
A program agreement is expected to be signed between the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Region of Epirus and the Municipality of Ioannina to formalize the transfer of responsibilities.
Under the agreement, the Culture Ministry will provide funding of approximately €110,000, with restoration and environmental improvement works expected to be completed within six months.
Ottoman-Era Monument
The mosque was commissioned in 1618 by Ottoman governor Aslan Pasha of Trikala, who served as the sanjak-bey of Trikala during the Ottoman period.
Today the structure is no longer used for religious purposes. The building has been operated by the Municipality of Ioannina as an ethnographic museum and is part of a larger historical complex that includes a library, a madrasa and the tomb of Aslan Pasha.
Situated on an elevated point within the city, the mosque remains one of the most recognizable historical landmarks visible from many parts of Ioannina.
Minority Federation Welcomes Decision
Halit Habipoğlu, president of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe, welcomed the decision to move forward with the restoration.
Habipoğlu said it was encouraging that the conservation work on one of the important Ottoman-era monuments in Ioannina is expected to be completed within six months.
He also expressed hope that restoration efforts will continue for other historical monuments in Greece, including the nearly 600-year-old Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Mosque, which was severely damaged by a fire in 2017 and remains under restoration.
Habipoğlu emphasized that historical monuments should be preserved in accordance with their original architectural character, noting that such structures represent part of the shared cultural heritage of humanity and must be protected for future generations.
