![2013-10-03 Lead Mosque, Shkodër 0367](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/2013-10-03_Lead_Mosque%2C_Shkod%C3%ABr_0367.jpg)
The Lead Mosque ( sq, Xhamia e Plumbit), also known as the Buşatlı Mehmet Pasha Mosque, is a historical
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in
Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...
, northwestern
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
.
It took the name ''Lead Mosque'', because all of its
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
s were covered with
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
.
[ ]
History
The Lead Mosque was built in 1773 by the
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
pasha
Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...
Mehmed Bushati
Mehmed Pasha Bushati ( 1768–d. June 1775) was the Ottoman Albanian governor of the Pashalik of Scutari, between 1768 and June 1775. He was succeeded by his son Mustafa Pasha Bushati, and thus founded the hereditary Bushati family of Scutari.
Hi ...
of the noble
Bushati
The Bushati family ( sq, Bushatllinjtë) was a prominent Ottoman Albanian family that ruled the Pashalik of Scutari from 1757 to 1831.
Origins
They are descendants of the medieval Bushati tribe, a pastoralist tribe (''fis'') in northern Albani ...
family, who was
vizier
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
of
Pashalik of Scutari
The Pashalik of Scutari, Iskodra, or Shkodra (1757–1831), was an autonomous and ''de facto'' independent '' pashalik'' created by the Albanian Bushati family from the previous Sanjak of Scutari, which was situated around the city of Shkod ...
at the time.
Through this act, he intended to give his city of birth, the feeling of the capital.
It is said that the mosque's edifice was built on land owned by the catholic church.
Mehmed Bushati was personally involved with the construction and stones were incised under his patronage. Almost every day, he stepped down from his residence, the
Rozafa Castle, to follow the progress of the works.
The first
Imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
of the mosque was Haxhi Ahmet Misria, who was of
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian origin. He came to Albania after the contacts he had with Mehmed Bushati. After him, other Imams served and also took care of the mosque.
Damages
![Xhamia plumbit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Xhamia_plumbit.jpg)
During the 1900s, the mosque begun to be damaged and the lead that covered the cupolas was gradually stolen. In 1916, the remaining lead was removed by the
Austrian army
The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria.
The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of natio ...
during the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n rule in Albania.
In 1967, lightning destroyed its
minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
, which had been previously reconstructed in 1920 by ''Xhelal Bushati'', descendant of Mehmed Bushati.
State atheism
In 1967, Lead Mosque was closed down, just like the other religious institutions, after the
anti-religious
Antireligion is opposition to religion. It involves opposition to organized religion, religious practices or religious institutions. The term ''antireligion'' has also been used to describe opposition to specific forms of supernatural worship ...
communist leader
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...
declared Albania an
atheist state
State atheism is the incorporation of positive atheism or non-theism into political regimes. It may also refer to large-scale secularization attempts by governments. It is a form of religion-state relationship that is usually ideologically li ...
. Unlike many mosques that were destroyed during this time, it survived from the communist regime, probably because it was declared a ''Cultural Monument'' in 1948.
Post-Communism
On 16 November 1990, the Lead Mosque preceded other mosques in Albania to reopen when religion was again allowed in the country. The very first religious rally was held in this mosque by
Hafiz Sabri Koçi, after 23 years of state atheism.
Construction
The Lead Mosque has an
Ottoman architecture
Ottoman architecture is the architectural style that developed under the Ottoman Empire. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century and developed from earlier Seljuk architecture, Seljuk Turkish architecture, with influen ...
, unlike most other mosques in Albania which follow
Arab architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic area ...
.
It closely mirrors the classical Ottoman architecture of
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, which was pioneered by architect
Mimar Sinan
Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha (title), Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman Empir ...
of the 16th century.
The mosque is built with hewn stones of almost the same size, which creates a pleasant
construction symmetry. Stones were brought from the nearby village of
Gur i Zi by people who aligned to each other over kilometers passing the stones to reach the construction point.
Restoration
Flood damage in rainy seasons have resulted in damage to the Lead Mosque over time.
The mosque has been repaired numerous times during its lifetime: in 1863, 1920 and in 1963.
On 15 July 2021, the Albanian and Turkish governments funded restoration of the mosque.
Gallery
File:Albania Lead Mosque 01.JPG
File:Albania Lead Mosque 02.JPG
File:Albania Lead Mosque 03.JPG
File:Albania Lead Mosque 04.JPG
File:Lead Mosque, Shkodër.jpg
See also
*
Islam in Albania
Islam in Albania mainly arrived during the Ottoman period when the majority of Albanians over time converted to Islam. Following the Albanian National Awakening (Rilindja) tenets and the deemphasizing of religion during the 20th century, t ...
References
External links
Lead Mosqueat Shkodër.net
{{Religious Cultural Monuments in Shkodër County
Ottoman architecture in Albania
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1773
Tourist attractions in Shkodër
Cultural Monuments of Albania
18th-century mosques
Tourist attractions in Shkodër County
Mosques in Shkodër