Without permission, work is started on plans to build the Central Mosque

BIK has received construction conditions for the Great Mosque from the Pristina municipality, but the latter denies having issued construction permits, even says it has not even been applied. Urbanism director Ardian Oluri confirmed this.

“BIK has been equipped with construction conditions last year, during this time it has not applied for construction permits. A month ago he applied, within the legal deadline, to continue the construction deadline. This request was approved by the Urbanism Office, and we expect the ongoing request for construction permits to be submitted”, Oluri said.

Last year, a debate was held at the Pristina Community Assembly, and it showed there that the project affects the construction line with a neighbor to the mosque.

On the other hand, the Kosovo Islamic Community says construction permits have been applied.

We have applied to the Pristina municipality for construction permits. I can't give the date, only because I know the” application has been made, Ahmet Sadriu, BIK spokesman, has declared.

However, Oluri indicated that BIK from the Pristina municipality has asked for something else.

“also submitted the request for a workshop organisation. We've announced that the demand for a workshop organization is granted only after construction permits. We've informed them of jobs that can be performed without construction permits, such as the siege of the workshop, the removal of the bushes. No construction work is allowed”, he added.

Until construction permits still exist, some working machines have arrived at the location assigned to the mosque. In addition to leaving some shrubs, the opening of several holes is expected to begin, and cadastrian officials make some measurements.

The representative of the local company, which has been contracted by the Turkish company “Cicetepe”, confirmed this behind the cameras.

However, Urbanism's director was not reported to have taken action.

When you investigate and see the company that has been contracted to do the jobs, “Cicetepe”, you see those mosques are in hand. They're even building the Namazja Mosque in Tirana, publishing a video from that job.

This whole process is filled with uncertainty and suspicion of obsession with the project. The architectural competition held has gone as nothing, as the project was not selected from there, as major criticisms were given for the design as “osman”, losing the chance of Kosovo having a modern mosque.