MORE than a century after the completion of the Masjid Aziez Mosque in Nelson Mandela Bay was made possible by a donation from the Ottoman Empire, the green mosque between the Gqeberha Harbour and the freeway recently revived relations with its Turkish ancestry.
Masjid Aziez, fondly referred to as the Pier Street Mosque (the street in which it was situated in South End), was opened in 1900 and the completion of its construction was made possible by a donation from the Ottoman Empire after the congregation appealed for funding.
Now, 122 years later, Turkish historian and academic, Dr Halim Gencoglu, visited the mosque to hand over historic documents that link the mosque to its Ottoman heritage.
Gencoglu said that the Turkish government would like to strengthen links with the legacy projects in South Africa and establish cultural links with the mosque community. “We would like to partner Masjid Aziez with the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul. This will create a good partnership and remind us of the beautiful history between South African Muslims and the Turkish caliphate,” he said.
He handed over a Turkish flag and documents which relate to the donation for the construction of the mosque. “The Ottoman Empire was the last great Islamic empire and it is still important for all Muslim people today,” he added.
Mosque trustee and custodian of Masjid Aziez documents, Moulana Salmaan Fredericks, welcomed Gencoglu’s gesture. He said that the history of the mosque had diminished over the years, but there is renewed vigour to revitalise the history and preserve the mosque’s heritage.
“The congregation has grown significantly, and we are committed to protect the mosque while we expand our facilities. Our future generations must know where we come from and remain as resilient and steadfast as our predecessors were,” Fredericks said.
Naziem Abrahams (92), whose father helped build the mosque, said that they always had a high regard for the Ottoman Empire. “I grew up attending this mosque and I am grateful to be alive to witness today’s event,” Abrahams said.
Masjid Aziez is one of the few buildings that resisted demolition in the late 1960s when the former government planned to build the Settlers Freeway off-ramp over that piece of land.
