Turkey to Restore Al Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia

Istanbul, MINA – The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) plans to restore the Al Nejashi Mosque in Tigray, Ethiopia.

“We have been in contact with the authorities in (Tigray’s capital) Mekele,” said Cengiz Polat, TIKA’s coordinator in Ethiopia as quoted from Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

The first mosque in Ethiopia was built by the Companions after they migrated from Mecca across the Red Sea in the seventh century.

Four years ago the Al Nejashi mosque underwent a major renovation. However, in the recent armed conflict, the mosque suffered considerable damage from mortar fire.

Tigray has been in the spotlight since last November, when the Ethiopian government launched a law enforcement operation in the region against the separatist Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

According to the United Nations, more than one million people have been displaced in Tigray due to the ongoing conflict. The conflict has left more than five million people in dire need of food aid. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)