ALEPPO, Syria — A large number of mosques in Aleppo province were destroyed by fighting that raged between the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the Turkish army and the Islamic State (IS) as part of Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield. To restore stability to the newly liberated area, the Turkiye Diyanet Foundation embarked on a mission to rebuild and renovate these mosques, to open Sharia education workshops and to provide jobs for hundreds of people.
Many mosques were destroyed by IS mines and explosives, especially in al-Bab, where IS turned some mosques into military headquarters and used the rooftops and minarets of others as sniper platforms, which drew heavy fire.
More than 66 mosques have been restored since April 1 in the main cities, including Azaz, Marea, al-Bab, Souran, al-Rai and Akhtarin. This month, workers have begun rebuilding mosques in small villages.
The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation is a Turkish religious institution affiliated with the government. It was founded in 1975 and has nearly a thousand branches in Turkey. It provides humanitarian services in 135 countries to people affected by natural disasters, wars, violence and famine, regardless of their religion, race or language. It also carries out many educational, charitable, social and cultural activities.
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