The Eski Mosque ( el, Εσκί Τζαμί, from tr, Eski Camii, "Old Mosque") is a
mosque in the
Greek town of
Komotini dating back to 1608, or 1677/88, based on an inscription. Despite its name, the Eski Mosque was built after the
Yeni ("New") Mosque of 1585, but it is likely that an original mosque stood at that place, dating back to the time of the
Ottoman conquest of the area under
Evrenos. According to the 1892 Ottoman ''
salname'', the mosque featured an inscription in a "non-Ottoman" language, hence it is possible that the mosque was built on the site of a former
Byzantine church.
In the 1910s, the
Bulgarians turned the mosque into a church and destroyed part of the
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 ...
(up to the Sherefe). The building was returned to the
Moslem minority in 1919-20, under the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
administration of Komotini. By then, the demolished minaret and the current 2 balconies were rebuilt.
Sources
*
{{Mosques in Greece
Buildings and structures in Komotini
Ottoman mosques in Greece
17th-century mosques
17th-century architecture in Greece
Mosque buildings with domes
Ottoman architecture in Western Thrace