Lembet Mosque, Ottoman mosque in Stavroupoli, Greece
The Lembet Mosque is a two-story structure with a minaret rising from its northwest side. The building measures approximately 18 meters long and 13 meters wide, displaying the typical layout of a religious facility from its era.
Built in 1903 in the Topçu Kışlası artillery barracks, the mosque was the last erected in Ottoman Thessaloniki and was inaugurated on 18 August 1903. Its founding inscription, read in 2013, records its original name, Feride Hanım Mosque, after the wife of governor Hasan Fehmi Pasha, who funded it. After 1912 the Greek army used the building for non-religious purposes; in 1921 the upper minaret and internal wooden staircase were demolished.
The mosque's original name, Feride Hanım Mosque, was read in 2013 from the foundation inscription above the second-floor entrance; it honours Feride Hanım, wife of governor Hasan Fehmi Pasha, who funded the building for the artillery barracks soldiers. The local Muslim community asked in 2011 for it to reopen for worship, but the request was rejected.
The structure sits in Pavlos Melas Municipality and underwent restoration work to improve its condition. Visitors should expect older building conditions and plan their visit accordingly, as access may be limited during certain times.
The mosque kept its orientation toward Mecca when it was moved 22 metres in 2005 for the Lagkadas road widening, at a cost of 700,000 euros. The move demolished the minaret's base and the 1921 exterior stone staircase without approval.
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