Tanners' Mosque, Ottoman mosque near Tanners' Bridge in Tirana, Albania.
Tanners' Mosque (Xhamia e Tabakëve) is a Sunni mosque beside the Tanners' Bridge in Tirana, built in the tanners' guild quarter in the Ottoman era, around the 17th to 18th century. It is listed as an Ottoman cultural monument and remains an active place of worship, with theologian Elvis Naçi as imam.
The Tanners' Mosque was built in the Tanners' guild neighbourhood of Tirana around the 17th–18th century, during the Ottoman era. It was damaged by a lightning strike in 1927. From 1967 to 1990 it was closed for worship after Albania was declared an atheist state under Enver Hoxha; the Resmja family carried out improvements when it reopened and still cares for it.
The mosque takes its name from the tabakë (tanners) whose guild neighbourhood it served, beside Tanners' Bridge. It is a Sunni mosque, and its imam is the theologian Elvis Naçi. The Resmja family, who repaired it after the communist closure of 1967–1990, still looks after the building.
The mosque stands beside Tanners' Bridge, a short walk from Tirana's centre, and is an active Sunni place of worship rather than a museum. It was closed for worship from 1967 to 1990 under Enver Hoxha's atheist-state policy and reopened afterwards. Visitors should dress modestly, remove shoes before the prayer hall and avoid entering during prayers.
The mosque was damaged by a lightning strike in 1927, then closed for worship from 1967 to 1990 after Albania was declared an atheist state under Enver Hoxha. The Resmja family carried out improvements when it reopened and still maintains the building. Its imam is the theologian Elvis Naçi.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,853 contributors worldwide.