Ethem Bey Mosque in Albania Restored by TİKA Opens for Worship

Dating back to the Ottoman period, the historical Et'hem Bey Mosque, the restoration of which was completed by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) a while back is opened for worship.

The mosque, the restoration of which began in March 2018, is the symbol of Tirana, the capital of Albania. People from all over Albania but especially from Tirana showed great interest in the opening of the mosque where the azan was recited once again after the break given due to the restoration work.

Considered "first category cultural monument", the Et'hem Bey Mosque stands out together with the Clock Tower, built under the Ottoman rule, as architectural complexes that form the historical center of the capital Tirana.

Molla Bey started the construction of the Et'hem Bey Mosque which is considered one of the most important monuments of the Ottoman era, in 1793. The construction of the mosque was completed in 1821 by Et'hem Bey, the son of Molla Bey. The Ethem Bey Mosque, which survived the wrath of former dictator Enver Hoxha, is considered one of the rare Ottoman monuments that has reached the present day.

The mosque, which was renovated in 1870 and 1985 had been closed during the communist period in Albania (1946-1985) and was reopened for worship in 1991. The mosque, built on a square footing, has an area of 310 square meters with a dome and a minaret. The interior walls of the mosque and the inside of the dome are decorated with different motifs and constitute a unique example of a mixture of local art, baroque and Ottoman art.

In addition to the restoration work of the Et'hem Bey Mosque, TİKA had also renovated the Bazaar Mosque in Gjirokastër, the Sultan's Mosque in Berat, and the Bachelor's Mosque in Berat in previous years.