Kara Musa Pasha Mosque: An Ottoman Mosque in Rethymno
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Greece
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Ottoman, Venetian
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
On this page8 sections
History
Kara Musa Pasha Mosque is a mosque in the Ottoman architectural style in Rethymno, Greece, founded by the Ottoman official Kara Musa Pasha and usually dated to the 1680s. Pasha was a high-ranking Ottoman title, though it does not identify his precise office.
Venetian monastery and Ottoman foundation
The mosque was established on the site of a Venetian monastery dedicated to Saint Barbara, a Christian saint. The monastery was converted into a mosque during the seventeenth century, when a dome and minaret were added.
The construction date is uncertain. It is most often placed in the 1680s, with 1683 also proposed, while another dating places it shortly after Rethymno’s Ottoman conquest in 1646. The work may have been carried out by the Ottoman governor of Crete.
Abandonment and restoration
The mosque ceased to be used for worship in the 1890s. The Greek Archaeological Service later restored the building, and its conversion into a museum of Ottoman architecture in Crete has been considered.
Remains
The mosque precinct
The precinct contains the stone mosque, a domed fountain, and a vaulted funerary structure.
Mosque
The stone building follows Ottoman architectural style and has a single dome. Only the base of its minaret survives, while the mosque itself is otherwise in good condition.
Fountain and entrance
The domed fountain has one side facing Arkadiou Street and the other facing the mosque courtyard. The mosque entrance lies beneath the fountain’s dome.
Funerary structure
A vaulted funerary building is preserved in the precinct. Kara Musa Pasha may be buried there.
