MINGORA: Residents of Sapal Bandai area of Swat have preserved the woodwork carved on a mosque dating back to over 300 years.

The historical mosque known as Akhund Darveeza Baba mosque is situated about 12 kilometers from Mingora city. The mosque has been renovated by the local people with the financial assistance of the Dutch government.

Aziz Khan, a member of the committee tasked with mosque’s renovation and extension work, told Dawn that a total of Rs4.2 million were spent on the project. He added that local people donated Rs0.85 million while Rs3.35 million were donated by the Dutch government.

Mohammad Dawran, a retired teacher, said the extension and renovation work started on March 20, last year, and ended in November. He said the mosque was constructed some 315 years ago. “The carvings made on pillars and doors of the mosque are still attracting lot of visitors,” he said and added that precious cedar wood was used in the artwork.

Miraj Bacha, 75, said that his family had been in forefront in preservation of the mosque, adding the hand carvings reflected the skills of the people of the past era. He said such designs couldn’t be carved without modern machinery.

Fazal Ameen, 24, said it was their duty to preserve the mosque built by their ancestors. He added that historical buildings and sites in other parts of the Swat district were victims of official neglect.