10 Most Beautiful Mosques in Albania

Lead Mosque in Shkodër

The Lead Mosque stands on the southern outskirts of Shkodër, below the Rozafa Castle. It is a fine example of Ottoman architecture in Albania’s territory. The mosque was built in the second half of the 18th century by the ruler of Shkodër Mehmed Pasha Bushatli, who is also buried here. It got its name from the lead plates that cover its dome. In 1990, it was the first mosque in Albania to resume regular prayers.

Et’hem Bey Mosque in Tirana

The Et’hem Bey Mosque, located on the eastern side of Skanderbeg Square, is one of the few monuments in Tirana from the Ottoman era. Its construction began in 1789 and ended 34 years later. It was closed during the reign of dictator Enver Hoxha, but as one of the few religious buildings of its kind, it survived a campaign of forced atheisation in which most churches and mosques were razed to the ground. In January 1991, as a symbol of the fall of socialism, crowds of people entered the mosque with Albanian flags. Since then, it has served its religious purpose.

King Mosque in Elbasan

The oldest Islamic shrine in Albania is the King Mosque in Elbasan. It was built in 1492 by the Turks, who had occupied this part of the Balkans not long before. It is located in the Elbasan’s old town.  After 1967, when Albanian communists outlawed religion, the mosque temporarily served as an agitation centre of the Communist party.

Bazaar Mosque in Krujë

The Turks built the Bazaar Mosque in Krujë in 1533, several decades after the conquest of the city. It is located below the Kruja Castle, at the end of the Old Bazaar. The interior of the building is decorated with colourful frescoes. The mosque luckily survived the Communist Party’s atheisation campaign, although the minaret was blown up and for a long time it was used as a warehouse. Next to the mosque, you will find the two oldest surviving Islamic tombstones in Albania.

Mirahori Mosque in Korçë

The Mirahori Mosque is located in the Old Bazaar District in Korçë and, with a completion date of 1494, is one of the oldest mosques in Albania. It is named after the founder of modern Korçë, Ilyaz Bey Mirahori, a military commander in the service of the Ottoman Sultan, who gained control of the city due to his merits during the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.

Allajbeg Mosque in Burim

The Allajbeg Mosque is located on the outskirts of the village of Burim in the northern Albanian region of Dibër. It is one of the most beautiful surviving mosques in the Albanian countryside. Built in 1578, it is a monument to the rapid Islamisation of Dibër after the arrival of the Turks. At first glance, the inconspicuous building has a single dome and a minaret. There is a nice cemetery around the building.

King Mosque in Berat

Another mosque built on Albanian territory in the late 15th century is the King Mosque in the Berat district of Mangalem. It was built by the Turkish Sultan Bayezid II in 1492, making it one of the oldest in Albania. Unlike most Albanian mosques, it does not have a dome, but a flat wooden roof. Its pride is its painted wooden ceiling.

Bazaar Mosque in Gjirokastër

The 1757 Bazaar Mosque is the only one of the original 13 mosques in Gjirokastër to survive the atheist campaign of the communist era. For a time it served as a rehearsal room for a circus choir that found convenient the high ceiling under the dome. Next to the mosque is the former Bektashi tekke, which now serves as a madrasa, an Islamic high school.

Muradie Mosque in Vlorë

The Muradie Mosque stands on Flag Square in Vlorë and is the most important historical building in the South Albanian metropolis. It was built in 1542 to the design of the architect Mimar Sinan and represents the crowning achievement of Ottoman architecture in Albania. It is square in plan, with an octagonal dome set into it.

Grand Mosque in Tirana

The Grand Mosque in the centre of Tirana is currently under construction. When completed, it probably won’t be the most beautiful mosque in Albania, but it will certainly claim one “best”: With a capacity of 2,500 seats, it is said to be not only the largest in the country but also in the whole of southeastern Europe. This is a bit surprising, given the very lukewarm attitude of Albanians towards Islam and religion in general.

 

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