Ice Rink to Be Built at Site of Kalga Sultan Palace in Simferopol
Simferopol City Council has allocated a plot of land containing a cultural monument of the Crimean Tatars, a complex where Kalga Sultan’s palace stood in the 15th – 16th centuries, for an ice rink.
Hromadske Radio reports that Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea (Muftiyat) has appealed to the “prosecutor’s office in Crimea” in order to verify the legality of this decision.
According to representatives of the organization, the site has been given to the public utility company “Stolitsa.” Construction work began a few days ago.
The Kalga Sultan complex includes religious buildings, the mosque and madrasa, as well as the palace and library. Muftiyat seeks to restore these buildings and to preserve the cultural heritage of Crimea.
“The Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea considers such a situation unacceptable and prioritizes interfaith stability and interethnic harmony,” they stated.
The organization appealed to the “prosecutor’s office in Crimea” with a request to prevent the destruction of the remnants of Muslim cultural heritage and to verify the legality of the land allocation.
The Religious Administration noted that work on the transfer of the complex to Muftiyat has been going on for over 10 years. During this time, appeals to obtain the land had been repeatedly sent to the Simferopol City Council, but Muftiyat’s requests fell on the deaf ears of bureaucrats.
Archaeological excavations on the site of the complex and mosque have not been conducted. The Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea feels the need to conduct the excavations and then organize a museum.
Crimean Tatars have reported on many occasions to the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine about significant anthropogenic impact on the hydrological system of the peninsula, in particular about the uncontrolled pumping of groundwater, which could lead to the unprecedented droughts and deforestation.
