Mangalia Mosque, Ottoman mosque in Mangalia, Romania.
Esmahan Sultan Mosque stands on Oituz Street in Mangalia, built of cut stone blocks taken from the walls of ancient Callatis and held together with cast steel staples set into drilled holes rather than mortar. Oak props frame the entryway, and a stone fountain made from an old Roman tomb stands in the courtyard. The minaret's spiral staircase leads to the terrace where the imam once gave the call to prayer.
The structure was built in 1575 by Ismihan Sultan, daughter of Sultan Selim II, making it Romania's oldest mosque. Its creation reflects Ottoman influence in the region during the empire's era of expansion.
Around 3,100 Muslims of Turkish and Tatar descent live in Mangalia; the elderly attend daily ritual prayers, while many more join for the two great Islamic feasts, Ramazan Bayram and Kurban Bayram. The imam Halil Ismet shows visitors and townspeople the history of the building.
The building sits on Oituz Street and is easy to locate walking through the town. Visitors should know this is an active place of prayer, so appropriate dress and respectful behavior are expected.
The ritual fountain inside the courtyard was built from stone taken from an old Roman tomb. It had been filled in in 1959 and was restored during the 2008 works, when its water was again used for the ritual washing of the dead.
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