On the eve of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, which falls on the 12th day of the month of Rabi al-Avval, the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov visited the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul. He spoke about this on his Telegram channel. The Chechen delegation visited the famous Topkapi Palace, where a unique exhibition of sacred relics is presented.
Kadyrov was shown the personal belongings of the Prophet Muhammad: his staff, seal, shoes, and a cast of his foot. The head of Chechnya also visited the Sultan's private room, where the mantle of the Prophet Muhammad is kept.
"This blessed relic was visited by the Sultan and his family with a special ceremony every year on the 15th day of Ramadan. Thus paying tribute to the wonderful tradition, this room is now also open to visitors only during the month of Ramadan. In the room of the Messenger of the Almighty, the hafiz continuously read the Koran. And this has been going on for centuries,” Kadyrov shared.
Among other things, the palace displays swords of Muslim caliphs, all sorts of ancient locks and keys to the doors of the Kaaba.
"I thank our Turkish friends for the invitation, the warm welcome and hospitality! For our part, we will be very happy to see them in Grozny,” the head of Chechnya summed up.
During the trip to Turkey, Kadyrov and his “brothers” also visited the set of the popular Turkish TV series “Foundation: Osman.” They were warmly welcomed by the producer of the historical drama Mehmet Bozdag and the cast of the film.
At the set table, the delegation representatives had the opportunity to talk with the creator, the leading actor and the film crew of the series.
"I thanked Mehmet Bozdag for showing the beauty and purity of our religion in his paintings. The work he does gives a wonderful opportunity for people, including those completely unfamiliar with Islam, to see the religion of Allah in its true light. I believe that this is very important in the modern world," the head of Chechnya wrote in another post.
Kadyrov did not say whether official meetings were planned during the trip.
The relationship of the head of Chechnya with Turkey was ambiguous. At one time, many representatives of Ichkeria settled in this country, several of whom were shot by killers from Russia right in the center of Istanbul and returned back.
In December 2021, Ramzan Kadyrov made an angry statement addressed to Recep Erdogan due to the opening of a park in the Turkish town of Kerfez in honor of the first president of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev.
"Either you receive the status of a state that publicly supports terrorists, or you advocate for transparent and honest relations with the Russian Federation, without changing your convictions behind its back," he demanded. "Otherwise, as long as wanted bandits and scumbags find refuge in Turkey, as long as they openly organize gatherings and events to rename parks after terrorists involved in the deaths of thousands of civilians, we reserve the right to retaliate." Mr. Erdogan himself did not react to these threats - perhaps he did not even know about them. However, some of Ramzan Kadyrov's sworn critics still live in Turkey.
