A 470-year mosque of Piri Mehmet Pasha discovered on Byzantine cisterns in Istanbul was opened on 29 November to worship with recitation of Qur’ān and Janissary band show. During the restoration of the Zeyrek cisterns, the ruins of the Piri Mehmet Pasha mosque were discovered in 2007. The project works lasted for 5 years because of legal procedures. After 5 years, the historical mosque in Zeyrek, in the Fatih district of Istanbul, was rebuilt and finished in 2012. It was opened to worship after one year.
Zeyrek, which is on the World Heritage list, hosts historical monuments like the Molla Zeyrek Mosque, represents the most typical example of architecture of the Byzantine period. During his speech, the Fatih mayor also underlined the importance of ancient monuments for cities saying, “They are valuable for cities. The things that make cities meaningful are monuments. If they are not protected, cities will be senseless.” After the opening ceremony, the first Friday prayer was performed in the mosque, and ashura, a traditional dessert, was distributed to people.