SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 24,2008) – Qatar has donated 2.336.372 US Dollars for the reconstruction of the Gazi Husref-Beg’s Library located in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.Bakir Izetbegovic, coordinator for construction of the Library, said that internal design of the Library would be agreed upon in a few days.Izetbegovic emphasized that this donation followed after the leader of the Bosnian Islamic Community Reis-Ul-Ulema Mustafa Ef. Ceric visited Qatar last week.Qatar has been the most important financer of the Gazi Husref-Beg’s Library since the beginning of the construction activities. Sadly, donations were not distributed for a while because the library’s construction had been temporarily seized.
Gazi Husref-Beg’s Library was built in 1537 and is one of the most important libraries in Europe.
Gazi Husref-Beg (1480–1541),was a beg in the Ottoman Empire during the first half of the 16th century. He was an effective military strategist, and the greatest donor and builder of Sarajevo.
He was born in Serres, Greece, to a Bosnian father and a Turkish mother, who was the daughter of the Sultan. Thus, Gazi Husref-Beg was Sultan Beyazid II's grandson. A brilliant strategist and politician, in 1521 he became the governor of the Ottoman province of Bosnia.
Today it is difficult to imagine Sarajevo, or even Bosnia, as we know it without the contributions of Gazi Husref-Beg. He is remembered chiefly as the greatest donor and builder of Sarajevo, and as a Bosnian national hero. Thousands visit his tomb and give a prayer every year.
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1 comment:
very interesting article, we would like to see more articles like this.
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