Arasta Mosque: An Ottoman Mosque in Skopje
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- North Macedonia
- Primary era
- Modern
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
On this page4 sections
History
Arasta Mosque is an Ottoman-style mosque in Old Skopje Bazaar in Skopje, North Macedonia, probably first built in the 15th century. It was among the bazaar’s earliest important buildings and was one of the structures around which the market district developed. The mosque stands between the Bezisten, a covered market hall, and Kurshumli Han, an inn for merchants and travelers known as a caravanserai. It is affiliated with Sunni Islam, the largest branch of Islam.
Origins and Ottoman-era history
The name Arasta was used for large, important bazaars and for notable mosques. The mosque is thought to have taken its name from a former Arasta bazaar in Old Skopje Bazaar.
The earliest recorded reference to the mosque is in a 1699 Ottoman court register. It notes that the khatib, the person who delivers the sermon at Friday prayers, received eight akçe, an Ottoman currency unit, per day from the endowment of Pasha Yiğit Bey, an Ottoman military commander and governor. The mosque was renovated in the 18th century.
Destruction and restoration
The 1963 Skopje earthquake destroyed the mosque. The Islamic Religious Community began restoration work in April 2010, and the project was completed in 2014, giving the building its present form. The National Conservation Center of Macedonia challenged the work as unlawful and unpermitted. Its director said the intervention had caused extensive damage and demolished the last remains of the earlier building.
Remains
The present mosque has a single dome and one minaret, alongside a portico and an entrance with a vault above it. Its courtyard contains a shadirvan, a fountain used for ablutions.
