The Old Mosque ( sq, Xhamia e Vjetër) or Sulejman Pasha mosque ( sq, Xhamia e Sulejman Pashës) was the founding

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, ...

of the

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 ...

n capital

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

. The city developed around the mosque, which was founded by the Ottoman Albanian Pasha Sulejman Bargjini along with a hamam and a bakery. In the mid of the 20th century, all of it have been razed to make place for the Communist-era Unknown Soldier statue.

History

Built in 1614, it was the oldest mosque of the city of

and was one of the oldest mosques in Albania. The Ottoman general and ethnic Albanian, Sulejman Bargjini had fought for the Ottomans against the

Safavids Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

(

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

). Because of its beautiful minaret and its frescoe paintings, the Old Mosque stood in rivalry with the

Et'hem Bey Mosque The Hajji Et'hem Bey Mosque ( sq, Xhamia e Haxhi Et'hem Beut) is a mosque in Tirana, Albania. Closed under communist rule, the mosque reopened as a house of worship in 1991. Without permission from the authorities, 10,000 people attended and the p ...

founded by Sulejman Bargjini's descendant

Molla Bey of Petrela Molla Mehmet Bey known as Molla Bey of Petrela (d.1806 or 1808) was an Ottoman- Albanian religious leader and benefactor from Tirana. Born with the name Mehmet, he was a descendant of Sulejman Pasha Bargjini, the Ottoman general from nearby M ...

in 1793 and finished by his son Haxhi Etëhem Bey Mollaj. Next to the Sulejman Pasha mosque was the Sulejman Pasha Tomb. The

Kapllan Pasha Tomb The Kapllan Pasha Tomb () is a Muslim ''Türbe'' of Albania, located in the center of Tirana. It is a Cultural Monument of the first category and was so declared by the government of Albania in 1948. It was built in the early 19th century, with ...

is in the same neighbourhood. The mosque was destroyed in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, its remains and its minaret which still stood were destroyed in 1967 by the new Communist government under Enver Hoxha who also destroyed the Dine Hoxha mosque in Tirana. The monument of the " Unknown Soldier" ( sq, Ushtari i panjohur) was constructed on its site instead.

References

Buildings and structures demolished in 1944 Ottoman architecture in Albania Mosques in Tirana Religious buildings and structures completed in 1614 Mosques destroyed by communists Demolished buildings and structures in Albania {{Albania-mosque-stub

History

See also

References