Description of the attraction
The Gjirokastra Mosque, known as the Bazaar or New Mosque, was built in 1757. The mosque is located next to the Old Bazaar. It is one of the fifteen first built Islamic places of worship during the Ottoman rule, and one of the thirteen that survived until the period of communism.
The mosque was originally located next to the New Bazaar of Gjirokastra and was part of the 17th century Memi Pasha urban development plan. But all structures were destroyed by fire in the next century, with the exception of the mosque. It was granted the status of a cultural monument by the Albanian government in 1973, which saved it from complete destruction during the totalitarian communist regime in Albania. The remaining twelve mosques were subsequently destroyed. Due to the prohibition of religion in Albania, the mosque was used as a training hall for circus acrobats, for whom the high arches of the inner space were suitable for hanging trapezoids there.
Externally, the mosque is a two-story octagonal building of traditional Ottoman architecture. Inside, under the vaults, the ceiling mosaic has been partially preserved. Currently, the mosque is used as a madrasah.
