Et'hem Bey Mosque, Ottoman mosque in central Tirana, Albania
Et'hem Bey Mosque is an Ottoman place of worship in central Tirana featuring a square prayer hall covered by a semi-spherical dome. The building includes a cylindrical stone minaret and a surrounding portico that frames the exterior.
Construction began around 1791–1794 under Molla Bey, who completed the dome's corners before his death in 1807. His son Haxhi Et'hem Bey added the minaret, painted decorations and portico ceiling, finishing the mosque around 1819–1823. It was closed under communist rule, restored in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and reopened in 1991.
The portico frescoes show trees, waterfalls and bridges, and an island with a river where boats sail, as Kristo Frashëri described. Inside, the women's prayer area shows the Süleymaniye Mosque of Istanbul with its four minarets among landscapes. A chronogram in the mosque states that it gave the city eternal beauty as Hagia Sophia gave to Istanbul.
The building is generally open to visitors in the morning and afternoon, with restricted times on Fridays. Plan your visit outside of prayer times to explore the interior without interruption.
In January 1991, around 10,000 people entered the building without permission, marking a turning point for religious freedom after communist rule. This event symbolized the people's desire to reclaim their religious identity.
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