KABUL, Oct 31: Kabul’s oldest mosque reopened Thursday after a 75,000 dollar refurbishment paid for by the Turkish contingent of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Building work to restore the 458-year-old Shahe Du Shamshera mosque to its former glory began in August this year and was completed just days before the reopening ceremony.

The mosque, on the banks of the drought-hit river Kabul, has been destroyed several times during its existence.

It suffered heavily in the years Kabul was the frontline in successive conflicts — first under Soviet occupation and then during the years of civil war that followed.

Walls, windows, doors, minarets and roof were all repaired as part of the refurbishment, which also saw new plumbing and electrical systems installed.

Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by senior government ministers and religious leaders, had been scheduled to be carried out by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, but he was absent due to other commitments.

“The Shahe Du Shamshera mosque is one of the most beautiful, and the most historic. It also has a rich cultural value,” the Turkish commander of ISAF, General Akin Zorlu, said.

“I am sure this cultural monument gives a strong message of our contribution to the social and cultural life of Kabul,” he said after a ceremonial reading from the Holy Quran.

“This mosque was the first to be established in Kabul,” Religion Minister Mohammad Amin Naseryar said, adding that mosques were crucial to the security and stability of Afghanistan. —AFP