The Sailors' Mosque ( Montenegrin: Морнарскa џамија or Mornarska Džamija; Albanian: ''Xhamia e Detarëve'') is an important landmark in

Ulcinj Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic co ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

that once served as a lighthouse.Vjerski objekti u Ulcinju
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History

The

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, ...

was first erected in the 14th century by

the Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or s ...

. It is assumed that they constructed the mosque so that their merchants could pray while trading on this part of the Adriatic Coast. The fact that the mosque was erected before Islam was established in Ulcinj indicates the surprise of the Ottomans, having found the sacred place at the sea shore in 1571. Sailors’ Mosque (1907)

Ibrahim Pasha of Scutari (1797-1809) had the mosque rebuilt in appreciation for having survived the Battle of Krusi. He dedicated the mosque to the Ulcinj sailors who contributed to his family's success, hence the name – Sailors' Mosque. The small cultural center was established in 1798 and also served as a religious school and shelter for travelers and the poor. The mosque was closed and removed in 1931. In 1880,

was occupied by

Great Power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...

forces and was given to the

Principality of Montenegro The Principality of Montenegro ( sr, Књажевина Црна Горa, Knjaževina Crna Gora) was a principality in Southeastern Europe that existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a kingdom by Nikola I, who then ...

. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Montenegro became part of the

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

. In 1931 the military demolished the mosque. After 81 years it was rebuilt by private investors from

Alanya Alanya (; ), formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city and a district of Antalya Province on the southern coast of Turkey, in the country's Mediterranean Region, east of the city of Antalya. As of Turkey's 2010 census, the city had a population of ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

with the help of the Islamic Union of Montenegro and the Municipality of Ulcinj. As a part of Montenegro, under the control of Ottoman Empire, Ulcinj assimilated in both religion and tradition. Local custom dictated that after major events or battles, the residents of the town should erect a mosque as a symbol of their gratitude to God. Additionally, mosques represented the backbone of a town, influencing its architecture and spiritual life. The private houses in the mosque's vicinity were designated for congregants. Therefore, leisure time and family life became more fully integrated with daily prayers. On 4 November 2013,

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

partially damaged the top of the minaret.

References

{{Mosques in Montenegro Mosques in Ulcinj Ottoman architecture in Montenegro

History

See also

References