Arnaudija Mosque ( bs, Arnaudija džamija; ) built in 1594, is a large

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

before it was destroyed by the

Army of Republika Srpska The Army of Republika Srpska ( sr, Војска Републике Српске/Vojska Republike Srpske; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska (RS), the self-proclaimed Serb ...

on 7 May 1993. Arnaudija is designated

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

, by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mosque was demolished by explosives on May 7, 1993, by the Serb militia. The demolition was organized by the authorities of the

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...

which included the demolition of the entire Arnaudija mosque complex and Ferhadija mosque complex that were approximately distant from each other. Both mosques were destroyed in the same night just within the time frame of 15 minutes. One of the Serbs leaders from Banja Luka,

Radoslav Brđanin Radoslav Brđanin (9 February 1948 – 7 September 2022) was a Bosnian Serb political leader and a war criminal. In 2004 he was sentenced to 32 years imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for crimes commi ...

was convicted for his part in organizing the

ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal, extermination, deportation or population transfer ...

of the non-Serbs and destruction of the properties of Muslims, including mosques. Radoslav Brđanin was sentenced to a single sentence of 32 years of imprisonment. The reconstruction of Arnaudija mosque started in April 2017 and is expected to finish in 2022.

External links

panoramio.com

References

Mosques completed in 1594 Architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina Buildings and structures in Banja Luka Buildings and structures in Republika Srpska Attacks on religious buildings and structures during the Bosnian War Destroyed mosques Ottoman mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1594 establishments in the Ottoman Empire National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mosques destroyed by Christians Buildings and structures demolished in 1993 {{Europe-mosque-stub

See also

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References