1 The Current Situation of the Existing Mosques Built during the Ottoman Empire Period in Albania
The heritage of Ottoman period historical buildings in Albania includes castles, bridges, mosques, tombs, hammams, tekkes and traditional houses. During the socialist period, most of the historical civic buildings were given monument status, and as a result they were protected by law. The same thing cannot be said for the religious buildings, which due to the so called âcultural revolutionâ in 1968, were demolished in large numbers following the ban on religious activities. Only a few religious buildings were not demolished, due to the âstoicâ efforts of the local Institute of Monuments of Culture. In some churches, due to the basilica layout, it was easier to transform them into cinema halls, giving them a chance of survival. This possibility in the case of mosques was virtually impossible to implement. In some cases, there was partial demolition which destroyed only the minaret, as in the mosque of the King in Elbasan, or other buildings like Naziresha Mosque in Elbasan, the mosque of Murat Beg in Kruja or Mehmet Pashe Bushatlliu mosque in Shkodra. A more tragic case is the mosque of Abdurrahman Pasha in Peqin, whose harim was demolished, and only the arcaded last prayer hall that was kept, was transformed into a coffee shop. Other mosques which had a quintessential meaning and symbolism for the image of their city like Et-hem Beg Mosque in Tirana, the mosque of Beqareve in Berat, the mosque of Bazar in Gjirokastra, or the mosque of Muradije in Vlora were not damaged during this period. In certain rural settlements, such as the mosque of Gjin Aleksi in Rusanj village close to Delvina town (strangely, bearing a Christian name which reflects the flexibility of Albanians in terms of religious identity), Allajbegi mosque in Burim (village of Peshkopia), or the mosque on Sopot castle in Borsh (village in Vlora), these were not demolished.
The fall of communism in 1992 in Albania brought democracy, which made freedom of belief and religious activities possible. On this basis, a process of returning the existing mosques to their original function, and their consequent reconstruction by local means began. The same approach was adopted in relation to the interior of the buildings. During the site observation conducted by the author in 2005, the same approach is visible also in relation to the interior spaces and decorations of the historical mosques. This was particularly visible in the Mosque of Bazar in Gjirokastra, Mehmet Pashe Bushatlliu in Shkodra and Naziresha in Elbasan, which the Muslim believers had adapted to make them functional using local means. In addition, on the sites of the mosques which were demolished in 1967 during the âcultural revolutionâ, totally new buildings were constructed. In the case of the mosque of Abdurrahman Pasha in Peqin and the Kubelije mosque in Kavaja, the new domed harim was added to the existing last prayer porch, while the mosque of Pasha in Elbasan was constructed from scratch.
1.1 Mosque Design after the 90s in Albania
From the 1990s to the present, there has been a strong presence of Middle Eastern/Arabic investments in mosque construction in Albania. The mosques built by investors from these countries are present not only in urban settlements, but also in the most remote villages of the country. However, due to the weakness and incompetence of local urban governing bodies and other reasons related to local aesthetic features, their architecture in majority of the cases is of poor architectural quality. In certain cases, the mosques are Middle Eastern/Arabic replicas, or poor imitations of Ottoman mosques. Only in rare cases after 2010, such as the Mosque of Ballije in Elbasan (designed by Jurtin Hajro) or the Mosque of Bamatat in Delvina (designed by Martin Shameti), we see designs in a contemporary architectural style.
1.2 The Influence of Turkey in Mosque Restorations
After the rise in power of the AKP party in 2001, there developed a growing interest of Turkey in the Balkans, which was based on the political ambitions of that party. In fact, those ambitions were openly expressed by ex-prime minister DavutoÄlu (2014). The two common grounds used to realize their ambitions in Balkan countries with Muslim presence, were Islam and Ottoman empire. In this framework, a major role was played by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TÄ°KA), which operated as a Turkish institution that focused on humanitarian help projects in the Balkans, Middle East, and Middle Asia. TÄ°KA undertook the process of restoration of ten Ottoman period mosques based on an agreement made with Institute of Monument of Culture (IMK), which is the national institution responsible for the conservation and restoration of historical buildings. Once the restoration projects were finished, local scholars gave their reactions to the quality of the restoration (Margjeka, 2020). The issues raised in these responses varied. There were reported minor discrepancies from the original in the interior decorations in some cases and heavy interventions in the buildingâs volumes in other cases (Forumi per Mbrotjen e Trashegimise Kulturore, 2014; 2020).
1.3 Materials and Methods
This study aims to evaluate, through critical observation, the restoration work carried out on the historical mosques built during the Ottoman empire in Albania that were subject of the aforementioned agreement. It examines the quality of the restorative work in relation to the authenticity of the buildings. To achieve this aim, the methodology used includes visual documentation from different periods of the selected buildings to be used for comparative analysis, on-site visits, interviews with experts engaged in the projects and experts in the field who were not engaged. Finally, it uses a comparative descriptive method to evaluate the restoration work.
2 Late Period Architectural Interventions
The restoration of the Ottoman period historical mosques undertaken by TİKA was conducted on the basis of two agreements, signed with IMK in May 2012 and February 2018. The first agreement included the restoration of the Mosque of Preza Castle, Murat Beg in Kruja, the Mosque of Naziresha in Elbasan, Mirahor Ilyas Beg in Korça and the Lead Mosque in Berat. The second agreement included the Bayezid II Mosque, the Mosque of Beqareve and Halveti Tekke, all in Berat, Et-hem Beg Mosque in Tirana and the Mosque of Bazaar in Gjirokastra. Apart from the others which are currently completed, the Et-hem Beg Mosque in Tirana is still under restoration, and together with Halveti Tekke, they are not included in this study.
2.1 The Preza Castle Mosque
The Preza castle mosque is built by the Ottomans after the fall of Kruja. This mosque is built over the castle gate (Figure 6.1). Papajani (1974, p. 175) does not give a precise date of construction but refers to the second half of the fifteenth century. Kiel (1990) mentions that it was restored by the Ottomans between 1528â1547. In the 1966 restoration (Figure 6.2 â left), the conservation works on the castle walls, towers, and clock tower are depicted, but not the mosque whose minaret was torn down in 1967.
Actual image of Preza castle and Mosque after late restoration
Image of the Mosque from 1971 (left, Luce Institute), before restoration (middle-Kreshnik Merxhani) and after restoration (right-Ministry of Culture of Albania)
The restoration process, which started after 2012, included reconstruction of the minaret, renovation of the roof, reconstruction of ablution and toilet space, conservation of the exterior and adjustments to the building interior. Overall, the restoration works are positive, except for some aspects which are the subject of discussion (Figure 6.2 â middle & right). In comparison to the original one, the new minaret looks as if it has been designed on the basis of classical Ottoman models, which are typical of centre of empire, Istanbul. In the original minaret, the part over the balcony and the conical cap are thinner than the lower part of its body, whereas the new one is all the same. The details in the Åerefe (balcony) apparently reflect the Ä°stanbul model. Although the original roof was tiled using hand-made local dark brown clay tiles, after the restoration the new tiles used are clearly manufactured and more reddish. After the restoration, the exterior looked more polished, and the rubble stone pattern more strongly emphasized.
2.2 The Murat Beg Mosque in Kruja
This building locally known as the Great Mosque was built in 1533/34 by Murat Beg, who is stated to be the son of Nasuh Beg, that Kiel (1990) describes as the Ottoman commander of the castle. Its inverted-T layout shares similarities with the mosques of Beyazit II and Beqareve in Berat. It is of considerable size and includes a prayer hall and a last prayer hall. Its minaret was demolished during the cultural revolution in 1968. After the 1990s its minaret was reconstructed. However, the new one appears to be higher and is made of reinforced concrete and white-washed plaster (Figure 6.3).
Murat Beg mosque in the 1960s before minaret was broken (left) and images after the 1990s before restoration (middle and right, KMSH)
The restoration process which started after 2012 included the building exterior, roof renovation and interior decoration (Figure 6.4). The original façades of the building were in rubble stone which were painted white. The restoration shows that the façades are cladded with plaster and painted white. Similarly, the local clay dark brown roof tiles were replaced with manufactured, reddish tiles. These interventions appear to be minimal, when compared to the interior. The interior restoration includes the renovation of the wooden parts of the ceiling, the balcony of the womenâs mahfel and the minbar. While the first two elements do bear some relation to the original forms, the same cannot be said about the minbar, which appears to be brown wood and imported from Turkey. Decorative paintings composed of floral motives in green and blue tones are applied to the window frames and to the inward curvilinear surface which connects wall to the ceiling (Figure 6.4 â middle). The same motifs are used to frame eight medallions within the interior of the main prayer hall. However, these motifs are used in nineteenth-century mosques in Istanbul and do not bear any relation to the local architectural values of the mosque. In addition, the new lighting fixtures also are imported from Turkey (Figure IV â right). This kind of circular fixture is in common use in the newly built twenty-first-century mosques in Istanbul.
Image of the mosque after restoration (left), decoration at the womenâs mahfel (middle) and interior of main prayer hall (right-KMSH)
2.3 The Mosque of Naziresha in Elbasan
The mosque of Naziresha was built in 1599 (Buharaja, 1968) and is dedicated either to a daughter or a sister of a nazir (minister in Ottoman). Scholars (Kiel, 1990 & Müller, 1944) do not agree on the identity of the minister, although Nosi mentions that he was Nazir Kejvan Beg. This mosque is fabricated using neatly cut cloisonné technique (alternating stones with bricks). The mosque is very monumental and differs from other mosques in having a dome originally covered by polygonal tiled roof. Kiel (1990) visited the building during the socialist period (Figure 6.5 â left), and its condition was the same when I photographed it in 2005 (Figure 6.5 â middle). The last prayer hall porch was missing, and the balcony and the conical cap of the minaret were demolished.
Image of Naziresha mosque in 1960s (Kiel-left), in 2005 (Manahasa-middle) and after restoration in 2020 (right)
The restoration works that started after 2012 included interventions in the exterior and interior of the mosque (Figure 6.5 â right). In addition, the minaret was completed, and the dome was renovated. We should say from the beginning that the restorative interventions in this building have been the most invasive ones. As seen from the comparison of the three images before and after the restoration, the drum of the dome and its covering material are not true to the original one. In the octagonal drum, which was composed of two different wall masonries, the upper white one was removed, consequently reducing the height of the drum, thereby negating the monumentality of the mosque. In addition, the form of the new dome has been changed compared to the original one, which was polygonal in shape and cladded with tiles. The changes were made not only to the form, but also to the covering material. The new dome is circular, and it is covered in lead plates, applied to the same triangular shoulders that were covered with tiles. Also, the new cornices of the triangular shoulders were in diagonally laid brick rows, while the new ones are not laid diagonally, but are straight. The completion of the minaret includes the removal of the whole old part from the cornice of the Åerefe to the base of minaret. The newly constructed minaret trunk respects the original one. The polygonal cylindrical volume between the Åerefe and the conical cap is built in red bricks, not using cloisonné technique. The last prayer hall porch has been reconstructed from scratch using wood with a covering of tiles.
The interior before the restoration, was very poor in terms of decorations, consisting only of mihrab stucco niches and some muqarnas stucco decoration in the squinches (Figure 6.6). After the restoration, the window frames were transformed using a compositional pattern which consists of circular and quasi-elliptical elements and partial bluish and yellowish stained glass (Figure 6.7). The lighting fixture is similar to the Murat Beg Mosque in Kruja, but in the case of Naziresha mosque, it sits better due to its higher inner spatial qualities.
Interior of Naziresha mosque before restoration in 2005 (left) and (right-Manahasa)
Interior of the Naziresha mosque after the restoration in 2021 (Manahasa)
2.4 Mirahor Ilyas Beg Mosque in Korça
This building is the oldest existing Ottoman period Mosque in Albania, built in 1495/6 (Manahasa, 2005) by Mirahor Ä°lyas Beg. He was the tutor (lala) of sultan Beyazit II and husband of princess Hundi Hatun, daughter of Murat II. His name Mirahor is derived from a given title Emir-i Ahur (master of the stables in Ottoman). It is due to him that the basilica of Studion in Istanbul was transformed into a mosque and given the name Imrahor. Kiel (1990) thinks that unlike other buildings in Albania, it reflects features of the classical Ottoman Mosque, especially from façade point of view, in which the windows are placed at a sequence of two in the lower level, three in the middle and two more in the upper level (Figure 6.8 â left). Also, the transitional parts and the octagonal drum have high vertical proportions, which create a monumentality similar to the case of Naziresha mosque.
During the earthquake that hit Korça in 1961, the minaret and the clock tower were destroyed. When the author visited the building in 2005, its exterior was in poor condition (Figure 6.8 â right & Figure 6.9 â left), whereas the interior was good (Figure 6.10 â left).
Image of Mirahor Ä°lyas Beg Mosque before the second World War (left-) and in 2005 (right-Manahasa)
Entrance façade in 2005 and after the restoration in 2021 (Manahasa)
The squinches in the interior part in 2005 (left), the minbar (middle-Manahasa) and appearance after the restoration (2018-KMSH)
The restoration which was conducted after 2012 included the reconstruction of the minaret, clock tower, and the renovation of the square in front of the mosque transforming it into a public space (Figure 6.9 â right). Also, work was carried out on the domes and in the interior of the building. The reconstruction of the minaret can be considered successful, as the stones used were taken from local quarries, creating harmony with the newly constructed clock tower, which reflected the proportions of the original one. Also, the cloisonné masonry was polished, thereby revealing its aesthetic qualities. Prior to the restoration, the fenestration consisted of two windows, one in the inner and the other in the outer part of the façade. After the restoration, the exterior window was removed and was substituted by classical Ottoman hexagonal honeycomb-like gypsum frames. Prior to the earthquake of 1961, in the octagonal drum there were windows framed by pointed arches, but in 2005 the windows are round. After the restoration, these windows were restored to the original form. The lead plates in the main dome and the smaller ones over the last player hall were also renovated.
The interior of the mosque after the restoration reflects a different atmosphere compared to the original one (Figure 10 â left, middle and right). The whole exiting wooden elements of the interior, which were painted in turquoise green colour are changed with newer ones, which are in natural polished wood appearance. This approach is reflected in the original minbar (verified by a photo of 1917), which is substituted with another one which is similar to those used currently in Turkey and the womenâs mahfel is enlarged and renewed. The pulpit is removed at all. The inner window wooden shutters also are renewed in the same natural wooden material, eliminating the turquoise-green colour. The gypsum window frames which originally were with colourless glass now are decorated with stained glass in pink, and purple colours. The cleansing of non-original dye after the restoration, has revealed partial fragments from the original paintings of the dome, which I was able to perceive. These fragments of paintings are in Ottoman Neo-Baroque style and show similarity to Ortaköy mosque in Istanbul.
2.5 The Lead Mosque in Berat
The building is the only domed mosque in Berat and is locally named as the âLead Mosqueâ, due to the lead cover on its dome. It was constructed by a local nobleman called Uzgur Ahmet Beg. Babinger [1978, p. 292] refers to a certain UzguroÄlu Isa Beg of Albanian origin, whose name came from Skuraj family. Based on the salname1 of the vilayet of Yanya [Kiel, 1990, p. 122], he attributes the mosque to the brothers Uzgurzade2 Mehmet and Ahmet. The mosque was built by Ghazi3 Uzgurlu in 1553â1554, according to the inscription given by Buharaja (1968, pp. 81â85).
The mosque was restored successfully in 1978 (Figure 6.11 â left) by IMK specialists and Kiel rightly defines the building as âthe most important Ottoman structure preserved in Berat and Albaniaâ (1990, p. 65). When I visited the mosque in 2005 its exterior was in good condition (Figure 6.11 â middle), whereas the interior was plain without any decoration, and was painted in a yellowish colour. The recent restoration included the renovation of the lead plates of all the domes, including the four smaller domes of the last prayer hall (Figure 6.11 â right). In addition, unlike the original state in which the bases of the dome and the triangular shoulders over the squinches were covered by tiles, after the restoration they were also covered by lead plates. The lead plates of the conical cap were also renovated. All these restorative interventions can be considered as positive, apart from the new alem,4 whose height is greater than the original one and has an impact on the proportions of the different elements of the minaret.
The interior has been painted in a lighter colour compared to the previous yellowish tone, making the space more serene and noble (Figure 6.11 â left and right). However, the new minbar and the pulpit are ordinary, probably imported from Turkey. The gypsum window frames are decorated with stained glass in cyan, pink, and purple. The lighting chandeliers are the same as those used in the previous mosques, but we must say that here it stands out better, due to the inner spaceâs height. Overall, the interventions in this building are appropriate and balanced.
Lead mosque after 1978 restoration (left-Dashi) and an image of main prayer hall in 2005 (center-Manahasa) and (right) after the restoration 2018 (KMSH)
The womenâs mahfel in 2005 (left), main prayer hall interior after the restoration in 2018 (middle-Ministry of Culture of Albania) and iron stair added in entrance façade in 2021 (right-Manahasa)
2.6 The Mosque of Bayezid II in Berat
The mosque of Bayezid II is known locally as the King Mosque. This mosque has two phases of construction. Although there is no inscription left today, (Kiel, 1990) Evliya Ãelebi attributes this building to Sultan Bayezid II, who might have ordered its construction during the Albanian campaign in 1492. Evliya Ãelebi [1999, p. 693] describes the mosque in the Berat section of Seyahatname,5 depicting it as located in the very centre of the town and possessing the largest congregation. The second phase of the construction of this building relates to a bombardment the building was subjected to during a military campaign by the Ottoman army to suppress the Albanian rebellion in 1830â31. During the campaign, the mosque was ruined and Grand Vizier of the Empire Mehmed ReÅit PaÅa commissioned the reconstruction of the building from the foundations (Kiel, 1990). The inscription gives the reconstruction date as 1832â22 (Frasheri and Dashi, 1988, p. 122).
This building represents the best example of Baroque influence on the mosques built during the Ottoman empire in Albania. The Baroque features are reflected in particular in the interior decorations of the main prayer hall dome and the stucco decorations of the mihrab. Unfortunately, the building was transformed into municipality store and the last prayer hall arcade was closed rendering it unrecognizable (Figure 6.13 â left). After the 1990s the last prayer hall was restored to its original form (Figure 6.13 â right).
The image of the mosque of Bayezid II transformed into a store in 1978 (left-Kiel) and its image in 2005 (right)
The restoration of this mosque is part of the second agreement between IMK and TÄ°KA which was conducted in 2018. The restoration process differs from the previous five mosques and was undertaken by Albanian specialists, among others Aleksander Meksi, one of the most important figures involved in historical Islamic architecture in Albania. Thus, the restorative interventions are more professional compared to the previously explained mosques, although some of them could be a subject of discussion. The restoration started in 2018 finished in February 2021 and included exterior masonry treatment and interventions in the interior space decoration. Prior to the restoration, the façades of the building were covered by a yellowish plaster, over which white rectangles are painted neatly (Figure 6.14 â left/Top). These rectangles give the impression of neatly cut blocks and are also recognizable in the image from 1978. After the restoration, the plaster was removed from the walls, except a smaller fragment, which was left at the northeast façade (Figure 6.15 â right). Thus, the new façade is left in bare masonry, polished, and treated from the structural point of view. This technique is also used in the arcade of the last prayer hall and in the piers of the main prayer hall which also had their plaster removed (Figure 6.15 â left & right).
Northeast façade of mosque of Beyazit II in 2005 (top-Manahasa) and same image in 2021 (bottom-Manahasa)
Last prayer hall arcade in 2005 (Manahasa) and last prayer hall after the restoration in 2021 (Manahasa)
As regards the interior of the mosque, which is organized into a main prayer hall and womenâs mahfel, the restoration focussed on finishing works which included plaster and carpentry work.
The mihrab and the minbar prior to restoration were painted in a greenish colour, which was evaluated as not original by the restoration team (Figure 6.16). Likewise, the brown frames of the upper arched windows, were assessed as not original. Based on this, the interior of main prayer hall was painted in white. The mihrab of the mosque is a splendid example of Ottoman Baroque Albanian architecture. Before restoration, it featured exuberant gilded floral motives and paint of a blood-red colour. However, after restoration the red colour was changed to a wine brown. Moreover, the whole decoration is placed within a rectangular frame, painted in the same colour.
Mihrab and minbar with southwestern inner façade in 2005 (left and middle-Manahasa) and after the restoration in 2021 (Ministry of Culture of Albania)
The paintings on the wooden domed ceiling of the mosque were also restored. Before restoration, the ceiling was predominantly reddish brownish, with greenish elements in a secondary presence. However, after restoration the green elements are much stronger, generating a more balanced, colourful composition (Figure 6.17). New chandeliers have been hung, whose new metallic fixture is circular and designed in a quatrefoil pattern, whose relation to Islamic symbolism remains unknown and unusual to the author (Figure 6.19). Apart from the restoration of the pulpit in the left corner of the qibla wall, the wooden quadratic ceiling in the last prayer hall has also been improved, although its colour changed from reddish brown to grey blue after restoration. On a positive note, the new roof tiles are similar to the original ones, and also respect the original colours. The roof eaves are cladded with cherry-coloured wood panels in the lower part, the only change being the colour (Figure 6.14).
Minor lateral octagonal domes and major wooden domes in 2005 (Manahasa) and after the restoration in 2021 (Ministry of Culture of Albania)
Wooden octagonal inner dome over womenâs mahfel in 2005 (Manahasa) and a closer image of the same dome after the restoration in 2021 (Ministry of Culture of Albania)
Image of harim (left) and womenâs mahfel (right) after the restoration in 2021 (Ministry of Culture of Albania)
2.7 The Mosque of Beqareve in Berat
The mosque of Beqareve is situated within the historical Mangalem quarter of Berat, close to a street. The mosque was built in 1243 AH (1827/28) by Sulejman Pashë Vlora, but locally is known as âMosque of Beqareveâ. It means the mosque of Bachelors in English. Ekrem Bej Vlora (1911) explains that âbachelorsâ were an organization of unmarried men who had carried out military duty, whereas Zija Shkodra [1968, p. 83] states they were a union of unmarried craftsmen who maintained the security the of the bazaar. The mosque fortunately was not demolished during the cultural revolution. This building is positioned on a sloping site; to achieve a platform, the ground was dug out to create a building on two levels (Figure 6.21). The lower level which opens to the street is covered by three barrel vaults and is used for shops, which are entered via an arcade formed of four stone columns. On the upper level there is the main prayer hall and the last-prayer hall, which is entered from the north-western façade. The qibla façade of this mosque is very important because it verifies the historical layers of the Bayezid II mosque. This façade is organized into three levels: i. the shopping arcade under the prayer hall built with white stone; the middle section is plastered with grey-yellowish mortar, painted in regularly cut blocks; and the upper parts of the walls under the eaves have murals of imaginary Ottoman cities, mosques, and floral motifs. Similar decorative paintings were also applied to the interior of the main prayer hall and last prayer hall wall adjacent to it. However, when the author visited the mosque in 2005, the paintings in the main prayer hall were in poor condition, as many fragments had been destroyed and in some parts were painted over (Kiel, 1990).
It is important to mention that essential restorative work has been carried out in this mosque. The restoration process was completed in January 2021 and included intervention in the exterior, interior, and in the reconstruction of the roof of the mosque. Apart from the replacement of old wooden structural elements, the roof was renovated using tiles of the same colour. The painting on the façades of the main prayer hall were also renovated (Figure 6.20 â right & Figure 6.21 â right).
Mosque of Beqareve in 2005 (left) and after restoration in 2021 (right-from KMSH)
Qibla façade in 2005 (left) and the same after restoration in 2021 (right-Manahasa)
The interior murals have been painted over, without accomplishing the previously demolished fragments, aiming to keep the existing situation (Figures 6.22â6.23â6.25). A new wooden minbar has replaced the previous one, which looks like a Turkish import, with no relation to special local features. The plaster in the inner part of the arcade of the last prayer hall has been removed. In comparison to the mosque of Bayezid II, this removal does not look particularly aggressive, since the exterior part of the arcade was already bare masonry (Figure 6.24).
Mihrab image in 2005 (left) and after restoration qibla inner façade in 2021 (right-KMSH)
Inner image of north-east wall in 2005 (left) and after restoration in 2021 (right-KMSH)
Last prayer hall in 2005 (left) and after restoration (right-KMSH)
Before the restoration, the minaret was plastered with grey-yellowish mortar like the middle row of the qibla façade, but without rectangular pattern. After the restoration, the mortar was removed, and the minaret was left in bare masonry. According to Kallfani (2021) this decision was taken during the restoration process as the restoration team realized that the mortar was not original. In addition, it was revealed that in a previous restoration conducted by IMK, the body of the minaret was clad in an imitation of cloisonné, hence the decision was to leave the structure of the minaret unplastered (Figure 6.26). After restoration, the appearance of the minaret showed a mixed structure composed of stones and bricks. It is important to mention that the new image of the minaret after restoration appears to lack unity and it is composed of a mixed pattern, suggesting that its original form might have been plastered.
Minaret of Mosque of Beqareve before (left) and after restoration (right-Joni Margjeka)
2.8 The Mosque of Bazar in Gjirokastra
The mosque of Bazar in Gjirokastra is situated on an incline, under the city castle, which is known locally as the âneck of Bazarâ (Figure 6.27). The building was built in 1754â55 as stated in the inscription over the entrance door. Kiel (1990, p.141â42) explains that it is not known who built it, but based on the style and material of construction, he attributes it to local masters. This building is part of a group of mosques, which are constructed according to a technique typical of the vilayet of Janina, which Ottoman Empire Gjirokastra (Ergiri)6 was a part of. The restoration works undertaken by a Turkish company âKale Restorayonâ started in August 2018 and finished in July 2020. They included interventions in the exterior and interior of the building including renovation of the dome and the minaret. Furthermore, there were also interventions in the decoration within the main prayer hall and in the octagonal tomb which in recent years was transformed into an ablution space.
The dome and the roof of the last prayer hall of the mosque were originally covered in a grey stone slate typical of Gjirokastra, which is also used in its traditional house architecture. After restoration, the dome was covered by white precisely rectangular stones fixed with mortar. This intervention destroys the authentic aspects of the mosque (Figures 6.27â6.28). Similarly, the existing plaster was removed from the exterior façades and were left bare. In addition, the joints between the stones were filled with a white grout, giving the wall pattern a totally different visual quality, indisputably different from the original (Figure 6.29).
Image of Mosque of Bazar in Gjirokastra in 2005 (left) and after restoration 2021 (right)
The dome of the Mosque of Bazar before restoration (left- FMTK) and after restoration (right- FMTK)
The stone slates on the dome in 2005 (left- Manahasa) and precisely rectangular stones on the dome after restoration (right-KMSH)
This approach was also used in the octagonal tomb and in the body of the minaret, whose conical cap was reconstructed. The new conical cap was covered by lead plates and was reconstructed in different proportion to the existing one. However, proportionally the new one looks better compared to the older one. Finally, the last prayer hall plaster was also removed and left bare (Figure 6.34).
The interior of the main prayer hall was also restored. The mihrab plaster was removed and left bare (Figure 6.33). Oddly, the same technique was used for the squinches in the transitional parts of the dome. When the author visited the mosque in 2005 the dome was painted in a light reddish colour and the original decorations were covered over, apart from a circular medallion which was left uncovered (Figure 6.30). After restoration, the dome and the interior were painted white, and eight smaller circular medallion motifs were uncovered (Figure 6.31 and Figure 6.32). The triangular surfaces created in the transitional part between the dome and the squinches were also uncovered by removing the plaster and being repainted.
Medallion at the centre of the dome with central floral motif, and olive leaves and tulip motifs in the outer ring
Painting decorations at the transitional part between squinches and dome after restoration in 2021 (KMSH)
Inner Dome image in 2005 (left-Manahasa) and after restoration in 2021 (right-Merxhani)
Mihrab of Mosque of Bazar in 2005 (right) and after restoration in 2021 (right-Merxhani)
Last prayer hall in 2005 (left) and after restoration in 2021 (right-Merxhani)
3 Concluding Remarks
The study provides a critical observation on the historical mosque buildings which were subject to restoration between 2012 and 2021 in Albania. These mosques were built during the Ottoman period and represent the historical architectural values of their period of construction. This investment in the restoration of the mosques was based on two agreements between the Institute of Monuments of Albania (IMK) and the Turkish agency of cooperation and development (TÄ°KA), of which the latter provided the financial support. The first agreement was conducted in 2012 and included five mosques, whereas the second one included four mosques and one tekke. The restoration works on the mosques in the first agreement were conducted by Turkish companies, whereas Turkish and Albanian companies/experts were engaged for the second restoration phase. Based on on-site observations and personal communications the author conducted with experts both engaged and not engaged in the restoration, the study reveals that the restoration qualities of the buildings in relation to their authentic values are different for the first agreement and the second agreement.
Obviously, it can be said that the restoration works in the mosques included in the first agreement (Mosque of Preza Castle, Murat Beg in Kruja, Mosque of Naziresha in Elbasan, Iljaz Bej Mirahori in Korça and the Leaden Mosque in Berat) are only partially true to the original buildings. The exterior of three mosques shows problematic aspects relating the materials of their covering structures. The most serious issue occurs in the dome of the mosque of Naziresha, in which not only the form of the dome has been changed from a polygonal domed roof to a perfect dome, but also the height of the drum has been reduced, which has a negative effect on the monumentality of the building. In addition, the new dome is covered by lead plates, unlike the original which was covered by tiles. Whereas in the mosque of Preza castle and Murat Beg Mosque in Kruja the new roof tiles were reddish instead of the colour of the original ones made of local brownish clay. Another problem occurs in the refurbishment of most of the mosque interiors, relating the use of standard routinized elements such as red carpet, a minbar and lighting fixtures or chandeliers which are imported from Turkey.
Only three mosques restored during the second phase has been evaluated in this study. It is important to mention that the Bayezid II mosque and the Beqareve mosque have undergone good restoration. In these buildings the restoration has adhered to the original architectural values, including the interventions on the roof cover and interior. Apart from that, the decision to remove the plaster in the last prayer hall of the Bayezid II mosque and leave bare masonry is disputable. Since the joints of the masonry are clearly not composed of neatly cut stones, it suggests that originally this space was plastered, although the experts involved in the restoration claimed that the pre-existing plaster was not original. The similar decision taken for the minaret of the Beqareve mosque is also disputable because after restoration the body of the minaret does not look uniform and appears to be a mixed structure composed of limestone and bricks, which is not constructed with a sense of logic. These two buildings were constructed at a similar time (1827/8 and 1830/1) and the usage of the yellowish-grey plaster painted in neatly cut rectangles in both mosques is an argument to suggest that this pattern is an original historical layer of their façades. The same positive things cannot be said for the mosque of Bazar in Gjirokaster, which has also been subject to inaccurate restoration. This relates in particular to the substitution of the local traditional dark-grey stone slates for square stones fixed with mortar which has transformed (quasi-metamorphosed) the dome of this building. In addition, the grouting applied to the joints between the stones in the exterior masonry pattern of the mosque and the tomb in the vicinity was also an unprofessional decision. The case of mosques of Beyazit II and Beqareve in Berat could be the subject of more detailed analysis, including more interviews with experts engaged in the process, however that is outside the scope of this research. Further research is also needed on Et-hem Beg Mosque in Tirana and the mosque of Mehmet Pashe Bushatlliu in Shkodra, in which the restoration process is still ongoing.
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Salname: Annual book for activities held in Ottoman Empire, quasi similar to almanac in the west which started to be published in 1847.
Uzgurzade Mehmet and Ahmet: meaning Mehmet and Ahmet sons of Uzgurzade. Apart for meaning son, was also associated with nobility connotation in the Ottoman Empire.
Ghazi: is a title which was given to soldiers or war veterans during the Ottoman Empire.
Alem: the crescent and the star symbols of Islam on top of a minaret.
Seyahatname: meaning âBook of travelsâ, it refers to the travel notes by the Ottoman Turkish traveller Evliya Ãelebi (1611â1682).
Ergiri: was the Ottoman name for Gjirokastra.