Description of the attraction
The Muslim Mosque Kara Musa Pasha is located at the intersection of Arkadiu (one of the main shopping streets of the city) and Victor Hugo streets near Heroes' Square. Like most Ottoman buildings on the island, this building was formerly a Venetian building.
During the Venetian rule, the building housed the Cathedral of St. Barbara. The impressive Renaissance facades with decorative doorways and balconies date back to this time.
The mosque got its name in honor of the famous Ottoman admiral and statesman Kara Musa Pasha, who commanded the navy, who conquered the city of Rethymno in 1646. After the establishment of Turkish rule, the architecture of the city changed, enriched with an impressive Muslim flavor.
Having converted the Cathedral of St. Barbara into a mosque, the Turks added domes and a minaret. There is a fountain near the entrance to the territory of the mosque, in which believers could bathe before visiting the holy monastery. A dilapidated minaret is located in the western part of the building. In the courtyard there is a vaulted tomb in which the founder of the mosque was most likely buried. There are also numerous Muslim tombstones in the courtyard.
The remarkable architectural monument as a whole has been very well preserved to this day. Today, the Muslim mosque Kara Musa Pasha is closed to visitors. The building houses the Inspectorate of Byzantine Antiquities and is undergoing restoration work. Admire the same beautiful ancient building, which mixed the magnificent Venetian and Turkish architecture, while still through the external locked gates.
