ANKARA

The Turkish Embassy in Seoul and the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) are renovating a mosque in South Korea.

The Turkish Embassy and the KMF are carrying out the infrastructure reinforcement of the Seoul Central Mosque, which has not been repaired since 1981, the embassy said in a statement on Aug. 16.

The mosque will also be transformed into an open museum with the addition of a mihrab, and a podium.

Suleyman Elik, an embassy staffer, said they are seeking financial support for the 100-square-meter marble flooring for the entrance gate of the mosque and the Ottoman ornamentation and calligraphy works inside the mosque.

If sufficient opportunities are provided, they plan to carry out works reflecting decorative and classical calligraphy in the Seoul Central Mosque in October, Elik added.

Noting that South Korea met with Islam after the Korean War, he said over 200 Koreans became Muslims in 1954, and they later established the KMF.

Today, there are over 110 mosques affiliated with the KMF in South Korea, where 200,000 Muslims live, he added.

Seoul Central Mosque

The history of the Seoul Central Mosque, the first and largest place of worship for Muslims in Korea, began in 1970 when the Korean government donated a 5,000 square meters land in the Itaevon district to the KMF.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in October 1974. On May 21, 1976, the mosque was opened for worship with the participation of high-level guests from 17 Islamic countries.

Seoul Central Mosque has been a frequently visited place by Koreans for years due to its architecture and being the only Islamic place of worship in the city. The heads of state of Islamic countries also visit this mosque when they come to the country.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar