Abdurrahman Gazi Tomb, one of the religious tourism centers in Erzurum, is being restored

Abdurrahman Gazi Tomb and Mosque, which has been visited since the 16th century at the foot of Palandöken Mountain, welcomes visitors from many cities in Türkiye, especially the surrounding provinces.

Visitors to the mosque and tomb, where citizens also perform their daily prayers, perform their worship by praying and reading the Quran.

A new restoration work has been started in the registered building by the Erzurum Foundations Regional Directorate. While the mosque and tomb are being restored with materials appropriate to their history, a viewing terrace will also be built from which Erzurum can be viewed.

Murat Uslu, the Regional Director of Foundations, told AA correspondent that Erzurum is one of the ancient cities of Türkiye with its historical and cultural depth, and that Abdurrahman Gazi Hazretleri was the spiritual leader of the city.

Uslu stated that they carried out the first phase of work around the Abdurrahman Gazi Tomb last year as the General Directorate of Foundations of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and that they started the second phase of restoration as a continuation of this.

Uslu, who reported that the tomb and mosque are constantly under the control of technical teams due to their location on a sloped area, continued as follows:

"We aim to change the face of this place by working step by step. In the work we will do this year, first of all, the metal parts at the entrances of the tomb and the fountains will be replaced with wooden ones. The women's entrance of the mosque in particular will be made into an observation terrace, both to refresh the area in front of the women's entrance and to prepare an environment where Erzurum can be viewed from the tomb on the dominant hill. We will also make one or two touches on the interior. After that work is completed, we will analyze the situation again and decide whether or not there is a need for a third stage."

Uslu emphasized that the work at the historical and registered tomb was carried out meticulously by many committees.

Uslu, who stated that the work was started after a feasibility study of approximately 6 months and that the restoration would be completed soon, said, "Erzurum is a city that receives a serious number of tourists due to its ancient civilization, historical and cultural structure. One of the main lotions in terms of faith tourism is the Abdurrahman Gazi Tomb and hermitage. Therefore, we are starting the work by thinking about questions such as 'How can we increase this tourism, how can we host those who come here in the most comfortable and spacious way?'"