The fire that gutted the 17th-century Vanikoy Mosque along the Bosphorus was caused by a short circuit, the Fire Department said Tuesday.
BLAZE WAS PUT OUT BY FIRE FIGHTERS AND COAST GUARD TEAMS
The fire broke out Sunday afternoon at the mosque in Istanbul’s Uskudar district. It started in the electrical cables and then spread through the wooden flooring, the department added.
The mosque, mainly made from wood, was built by Vani Mehmet Efendi, a Turkish scholar, in 1670.
Fire at Vanikoy Mosque WATCH
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed his sadness over the fire at Istanbul’s 17th said restoration work would be carried out soon.
“Today, the fire at the historic Vanikoy Mosque, one of the symbols of the Bosphorus, has deeply saddened us all,” he said on Twitter. “I hope that as soon as possible, we will restore our mosque in accordance with its historical texture and origin, leaving a legacy for future generations.”