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Banya Bashi Mosque ( bg, Баня баши джамия, ; tr, Banya Başı Camii) is a mosque in
The mosque was designed by the famous Ottoman architect
Historical photographs of the Banya Bashi Mosque
Mosques completed in 1566 Ottoman mosques in Bulgaria Mosque buildings with domes Buildings and structures in Sofia Tourist attractions in Sofia 1566 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Culture in Sofia {{bulgaria-struct-stub
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
.
History
The mosque was designed by the famous Ottoman 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 the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman architect ( tr, l ...
and completed in 1566, during the years the Ottomans had control of the city. The mosque derives its name from the phrase ''Banya Bashi'', which means ''many baths''. (In the Turkish language Banyo means bath and Baş pronounced Bash means 'head' or 'main', so looking at the location it is built on, a more logical translation of the name would be 'Head of the bath mosque') The most outstanding feature of the mosque is that it was actually built over natural thermal spas; one can even see the steam rising from vents in the ground near the mosque walls. The mosque is famous for its large dome, diameter 15m, and the minaret.
Currently, the Banya Bashi Mosque is the only functioning mosque in Sofia, a remnant of the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria
The history of Ottoman Bulgaria spans nearly 500 years, from the conquest by the Ottoman Empire of the smaller kingdoms emerging from the disintegrating Second Bulgarian Empire in the late 14th century, to the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. A ...
that lasted nearly five centuries, and is used by the city's Muslim community.
See also
*Turks in Bulgaria
Bulgarian Turks ( bg, български турци, bŭlgarski turtsi, tr, Bulgaristan Türkleri) are a Turkish ethnic group from Bulgaria. According to the 2021 census, there were 508,375 Bulgarians of Turkish descent, roughly 8.4% of t ...
*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 Turkish architecture, with influences from Byzantine a ...
*Islam in Bulgaria
Islam in Bulgaria is a minority religion and the second largest religion in the country after Christianity. According to the 2021 Census, the total number of Muslims in Bulgaria stood at 638,708
References
External links
Historical photographs of the Banya Bashi Mosque
Mosques completed in 1566 Ottoman mosques in Bulgaria Mosque buildings with domes Buildings and structures in Sofia Tourist attractions in Sofia 1566 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Culture in Sofia {{bulgaria-struct-stub