Selimiye Mosque Painting

An Italian craftsman has gifted a faience painting to the Selimiye Mosque.

Sarafino Pagetti, who has lived in Germany for 50 years and specializes in making tiles, said he made the gesture to thank the mosque administration and the public for their hospitality.

Pagetti said he had spent last Ramadan at the Turkish mosque.

"Whenever I came here, I was treated with a warm, welcoming feeling. I have never felt alienated, they treated me like a brother. Nobody has treated me like Mehmet Cetindere, president of the mosque's association, in my entire life; I love this place and congregation because of this," he said.

Cetindere thanked Pagetti for the meaningful gift. "When he saw the Hagia Sophia portraits hanging in our office, he wanted to portray it as a tile table. He made us this present in a short time."

Members of the association gave Pagetti the Quran and a book explaining Islam in the German language.