Bulgaria Mosque Turned Into Bar

Unable to provide enough money to gain back their worship
place, the Muslim community in Bulgaria's second largest city of
Plovdiv is outraged by the turning of a historic mosque into a bar.
"It is unbearable for us that the mosque remains closed for
worship," Ahmed Ersin, Mufti of the Plovdiv region, told World
Bulletin website.
"It is even more grieving that it is used as a bar and serves
alcoholic beverages."
The Taskopru (Stone Bridge) Mosque, a 16th century worship
place in Plovdiv, was turned into a bar and a restaurant.
The tragic story of the mosque, an exemplar of 16th century
Ottoman architecture, began with the 1928 earthquake that
caused damage to the historic building.
To repair the minaret of the mosque destroyed in earthquake, a
portion of the land was sold, but repairs could not be completed
since enough money was not collected.
The mosque remained closed for worship until the establishment
of the Communist regime in 1944 which confiscated the mosque,
keeping it closed for decades.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, the confiscated
properties began to be returned.
Yet, the Taskopru Mosque, which was expected to be returned to
the office of the regional Mufti, was given to two Bulgarians by a
court decision.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, the individuals who seized the
mosque have rented it out to persons who used it as a "Greek
tavern", "Italian restaurant,” and bars.
Angered by the presence of a restaurant serving alcohol at the
site of the mosque, Muslims have been trying ever since to
recover the mosque.
However the owners of the mosque are demanding 600,000
euros from the regional Grand Mufti (Islamic religious authority).
Raising money for the case, the Office of the Grand Mufti was
only able to offer half of that figure.
"We have no choice but to open a case for the mosque,” Grand
Mufti Mustafa Alis Haji said.
Making up some 15 percent of Bulgaria's 7.3 million people, the
Muslim community population is the highest proportion in any
European Union member state.