[ From the Media ]

The 16th-century "New Mosque" of Bitola (Macedonia) - now functioning as an art gallery - will be restored for re-use as a museum. I am a bit puzzled by the intention to restore this mosque "on the model of Aja Sofia in Istanbul", as is stated on the Macedonian ministry of culture's website (here). As with many (most?) mosque restoration projects in the Balkans recently, there is a Turkish participation; and, by the way, also Istanbul is seeing a wave of renovations of historical mosques: on the tramway line between Kabatas and Aksaray alone I spotted five newly polished ones yesterday...