Konya Metropolitan Municipality has reached the final stage in the restoration of the Habib-i Neccar Mosque in Hatay, which was destroyed in the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023.
Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay emphasized that from the very first hours of the devastating earthquakes that shook Turkey, Konya stood by Hatay with all its resources, setting an exemplary stance for the country.
Reminding that they worked in many areas in Hatay, from search and rescue teams to mobile kitchens, from infrastructure and sewage works to container cities, from drinking water supply to energy, Mayor Altay noted that one of the most important tasks was the revival of the Habib-i Neccar Mosque, regarded as the first mosque in Anatolia.
Mayor Altay said, “As Konya, we have built a strong bond of brotherhood with our brothers and sisters in Hatay. This bond has grown even stronger with the restoration of the Habib-i Neccar Mosque. In coordination with our Ministry of Culture and Tourism and under the supervision of the General Directorate of Foundations, our teams are working with great dedication. Thankfully, we are nearing the end of the restoration. God willing, in a very short time, we hope to complete all the work and reopen the Habib-i Neccar Mosque, which will stand as a symbol of the Konya-Hatay brotherhood. The revival of the Habib-i Neccar Mosque will strengthen the friendship between these two ancient cities forever, God willing. I sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the restoration process.”
A THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD HERITAGE
The mosque, built in 638 by Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, one of Caliph Umar’s commanders, following the Muslim conquest of Antioch, holds the distinction of being the first mosque constructed within the borders of present-day Turkey.
