Türkiye's ambassador attends first Friday prayer in 15 years at Damascus Suleymaniye complex

Türkiye's ambassador to Syria, Dr Nuh Yilmaz, attended the first Friday prayer held in 15 years at Damascus's Suleymaniye complex. He later met Syrian Minister of Awqaf Abu al-Khair al-Shukri in a move the embassy described as reviving the historical and cultural ties between the two countries.

Prayer returned to Damascus's historic Suleymaniye complex, where the first Friday prayer in 15 years was held on Friday, 6 November, with the participation of Türkiye's ambassador to Syria, Dr Nuh Yilmaz. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus announced the event on its official account.

After the prayer, Ambassador Yilmaz met Syrian Minister of Awqaf Abu al-Khair al-Shukri. The embassy described the complex's return to religious life as “an important development that helps recall the deep historical and cultural ties between Türkiye and Syria and preserve their shared civilizational heritage.”

السفير التركي نوح يلماز يصافح المصلين في مجمع السليمانية بدمشق

“The legacy of the ancestors”

The Suleymaniye complex, also known as the Suleymaniye Tekkiye, is one of Damascus's prominent Ottoman landmarks. It was built in the 16th century on the orders of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by architect Sinan, one of the most renowned architects in Islamic history. The complex includes a domed mosque with two slender minarets, surrounded by arcades with alternating-color stone arches in the Damascene style.

The Turkish Embassy expressed hope that the return of the call to prayer, prayers and communal worship at the complex would help revive the valuable landmark, allowing it once again to serve as one of the city's key centers for worship, culture and social life.

Photos: Turkish Embassy in Damascus