The new facade of the Colored Mosque, restored with a $94,708 grant provided through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation between September 2011 and April 2012, was presented Monday in Tetovo. 

Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska said the mosque's facade was restored through the program funded by the U.S. Department of State by using modern techniques and materials for conservation.

"The Colored Mosque is one of the most renowned monuments from the Ottoman period in Macedonia. The 15-century construction is most famous for its internal and exterior decorations," Kanceska-Milevska stated.

U.S. Ambassador Paul Wohlers welcomed the successful completion of the project.

"The restoration project has preserved the facade of this exceptional cultural facility in its original beauty. Now, people from Macedonia and visitors from other countries regardless of their religious or ethnic background have the chance to experience the rich cultural heritage of this mosque," he said amongst other things.

Since the creation of the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2001, the U.S. Embassy in Skopje has funded eleven projects in Macedonia, which has received more support for restoration projects through the Fund than any other country in Europe. This program was established by the U.S. Congress to assist developing countries in preserving and maintaining their important cultural heritage.