President of the Republic, Kais Saied, went, on Sunday at dawn, to the Kasbah Mosque where he performed the Fajr prayer and visited its various wings, after ordering its repair and restoration a few weeks ago. The President was accompanied by the Mufti of the Republic, Hichem Ben Mahmoud. During the visit, the Head of State gave an overview about the history of the Kasbah Mosque whose construction works started in year 629 AH (1231 AD) and continued for about four years, adding that its the builders and architects were Tunisians. He pointed out that the mosque used to host scientific seminars, stressing the need to preserve this landmark. The President of the Republic thanked all citizens, merchants, and unemployed people who contributed to its repair and reopening, underlining that the Defence Ministry supervised and monitored its works. He said that «although the Religious Affairs Ministry was only few meters away from the Kasbah Mosque and has been there for 13 years, its restoration was completed with in few weeks.» President Kais Saied also spoke of the Palestinian cause, reiterating that "we will end the injustice against our people in Palestine and reclaim al-Quds and the whole land of Palestine. He strongly condemned "the heinous crimes of murder and starvation against innocent Palestinians under the eyes of the world." Last February 26th, the President of the Republic made an unannounced visit to the Kasbah Mosque which has been closed since 2011. He criticized how it has been seriously neglected for over a decade The President of the Republic gave instructions to restore it immediately, as it is one of the Islamic monuments of Tunisia whose construction was ordered by the founder of the Hafsid state, Abu Zakaria al-Hafsi. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse