Bazaar Mosque

The Bazaar Mosque (Albanian Xhamia e Pazarit ) is a mosque from the Ottoman era in the city of Kruja in Albania. Because of its location above the bazaar outside the castle it is also suburban Mosque (Albanian Xhamia e Varoshit ), named after its founder and Murad Bey Mosque.

The mosque was built in the year 1533/34, some 60 years after the conquest by the Turks Krujas. The construction of such a large mosque outside the fort suggests on the one hand to peaceful times, on the other hand, the importance of Islam in Kruja down. 1837/38, the mosque was restored. Inside it is equipped with colorful frescoes. The roof is supported by six meter high columns. The building measures around ten to 20 meters.

The Bazaar Mosque is an official cultural monument (Albanian monuments Kulturore ) Albania. It was closed in 1967 after the exercise of religion in communist Albania was banned. The minaret was demolished and used the building as a result as a municipal warehouse. In May 1991, the mosque was re-opened, and only three years later, when the minaret was rebuilt.

Next to the mosque were the two oldest surviving grave stones in Albania. The older one is dated 1530 and is part of the grave of Nasush Bey, the father of the builder of Murad Bey. The second is from the year 1567. Both grave stones were brought together with an inscription containing the Namenm the builder, his father, the year of construction as well as that of the new building into a museum.

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