King Mosque, Elbasan

King Mosque
Xhamia e Mbretit
The rebuilt minaret
King Mosque, Elbasan is located in Albania
King Mosque, Elbasan
Location of the mosque in Albania
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Mosque
  • (c. 1485–1967)
  • (since 1991– )
StatusActive
Location
LocationElbasan Castle, Elbasan, Elbasan County
CountryAlbania
Interactive map of King Mosque
Coordinates41°6′43″N 20°4′45″E / 41.11194°N 20.07917°E / 41.11194; 20.07917
Architecture
TypeIslamic architecture
StyleOttoman
FounderBayezid II
Groundbreaking1492 CE
Completed1502 CE
Specifications
Minaret1 (rebuilt in 2013)
Minaret height
14 m (46 ft)
Official name
Sultan Bayezid Mosque, Elbasa
Designated1948
Reference no.12175

The King Mosque (Albanian: Xhamia e Mbretit or Xhamia e Hynqarit; Turkish: Hünkâr Camii) also known as the Sultan Bayezid Mosque (Xhamia e Sulltan Bajazitit) is a mosque, located within Elbasan Castle, in the town of Elbasan, in the Elbasan County of Albania. The mosque was designated as a Cultural Monument of Albania in 1948.[1][2]

Overview

Either the Mbret mosque or the Pasha's mosque in 1848 (right)

The mosque was built by the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid II between 1492 and 1502;[3][a] and was named in honour of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II.[3] It is one of the oldest active mosques in Albania, after the Fatih Mosque in Durrës, established in 1466 CE.

The mosque consists of a porch with a tiled roof and a prayer hall that is c. 12 by 12 metres (39 ft × 39 ft), separated in two by a wooden portico of three pillars. During the Communist rule of Enver Hoxha, the building was converted into a political education center in 1967. Its 14-metre-high (46 ft) minaret, that was partially destroyed in 1979, was rebuilt in 2013.[3][4]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ It was also claimed to be built between 1482 and 1485.

References

  1. ↑ "Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status". Republic of Albania National Committee for Culture. 1948. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Sultan Bayezid Mosque, Elbasa: 12175". Cultural Inventory. June 15, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "KING'S MOSQUE". petitfute.co.uk. n.d. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  4. ↑ Basha, Brunilda; Sagdic, Zafer (June 7, 2025). Observation on Ottoman Religious Heritage Legacy in Elbasan City, Than and Now (PDF). 1st Balkan Studies Congress: Proceedings, 17–19 September 2021, Skopje North Macedonia. Vol. 2. IDEFE Publications. pp. 171–190.
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