Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque
Encyclopedia
The Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque , is a mosque
in the city of Sarajevo
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
. It is considered the most important Islamic structure in the country and one of the world's finest examples of Ottoman architecture
. It is located in the Baščaršija neighborhood
in the Stari Grad
municipality, and remains one of the most popular centers of worship in the city.
Mosque was built by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who would later go on to build the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne
for the Sultan Selim I
. The mosque was financed in 1531 by Gazi Husrev-beg
, the provincial governor of Bosnia. Gazi Husrev-beg is widely considered Sarajevo's greatest patron, as he financed much of Sarajevo
's old city
at this time.
Magnificent stalactite
ornamentation in the angles under the dome and in the place where the imam leads the prayers, as well as other polychromatic decoration, valuable carpets and the light effects through the 51 windows produces a sense of greater space than there is in reality. At every time of prayer in this mosque, the great benefactor Gazi Husrev-beg is remembered.
In his legacy, he stated: "Good deeds drive away evil, and one of the most worthy of good deeds is the act of charity, and the most worthy act of charity is one which lasts forever. Of all charitable deeds, the most beautiful is one that continually renews itself."
Gazi Husrev-beg also built the same mosque called Hüsreviye Mosque in Aleppo
, Syria
, between 1531 and 1534.
, Serbian forces purposely targeted many centers of the city's culture, such as museums, libraries, and mosques, and fired on them generally. As the largest and best known, the Beg's mosque was an obvious target.
Heavily damaged in the war, it was renovated in 1996 with foreign help. Haverford College
Professor Michael A. Sells
has accused the renovators (whose money came in large part from Saudi Arabia
) of Wahhabism
in the mosque. Prior to reconstruction, the interior was far more intricate, but today the walls are simply white, much of the detail, artistry, and color taken out. Complete restoration and re-painting of the mosque began in 2000. It has been done mainly by Hazim Numanagić, a Bosnian calligrapher.
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in the city of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. It is considered the most important Islamic structure in the country and one of the world's finest examples of Ottoman architecture
Culture of the Ottoman Empire
The culture of the Ottoman Empire evolved over several centuries as the ruling administration of the Turks absorbed, adapted and modified the cultures of conquered lands and their peoples...
. It is located in the Baščaršija neighborhood
Bašcaršija
Baščaršija is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Isaković founded the town. The word Baščaršija derives from the Turkish language...
in the Stari Grad
Stari Grad, Sarajevo
Stari Grad is a municipality in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the oldest and most historically significant part of Sarajevo...
municipality, and remains one of the most popular centers of worship in the city.
History
The Gazi Husrev-begGazi Husrev-beg
Gazi Husrev-beg was a Bosniak bey in the Ottoman Empire during the first half of the 16th century...
Mosque was built by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who would later go on to build the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
for the Sultan Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
. The mosque was financed in 1531 by Gazi Husrev-beg
Gazi Husrev-beg
Gazi Husrev-beg was a Bosniak bey in the Ottoman Empire during the first half of the 16th century...
, the provincial governor of Bosnia. Gazi Husrev-beg is widely considered Sarajevo's greatest patron, as he financed much of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
's old city
Stari Grad, Sarajevo
Stari Grad is a municipality in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the oldest and most historically significant part of Sarajevo...
at this time.
Magnificent stalactite
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
ornamentation in the angles under the dome and in the place where the imam leads the prayers, as well as other polychromatic decoration, valuable carpets and the light effects through the 51 windows produces a sense of greater space than there is in reality. At every time of prayer in this mosque, the great benefactor Gazi Husrev-beg is remembered.
In his legacy, he stated: "Good deeds drive away evil, and one of the most worthy of good deeds is the act of charity, and the most worthy act of charity is one which lasts forever. Of all charitable deeds, the most beautiful is one that continually renews itself."
Gazi Husrev-beg also built the same mosque called Hüsreviye Mosque in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, between 1531 and 1534.
Destruction and reconstruction
During the Siege of SarajevoSiege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
, Serbian forces purposely targeted many centers of the city's culture, such as museums, libraries, and mosques, and fired on them generally. As the largest and best known, the Beg's mosque was an obvious target.
Heavily damaged in the war, it was renovated in 1996 with foreign help. Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
Professor Michael A. Sells
Michael Sells
Michael Anthony Sells is currently the John Henry Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.....
has accused the renovators (whose money came in large part from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
) of Wahhabism
Wahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
in the mosque. Prior to reconstruction, the interior was far more intricate, but today the walls are simply white, much of the detail, artistry, and color taken out. Complete restoration and re-painting of the mosque began in 2000. It has been done mainly by Hazim Numanagić, a Bosnian calligrapher.
See also
- Timeline of Islamic history
- Islamic architectureIslamic architectureIslamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
- Islamic artIslamic artIslamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
- List of mosques