The Red Mosque (, ) is a ruined mosque in Berat Castle,

Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and ea ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. It is a

Cultural Monument of Albania In Albania, a cultural monument () is a construction or work of cultural, historical and artistic value that is built in a visible space, made in memory of important events or prominent people. Cultural monuments are usually under state protection ...

since 1961.

History

According to Ottoman explorer

Evliya Çelebi Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...

(1611–1682), the mosque was built under the reign of Bayazid II. It was probably built in the 15th century and was one of the oldest mosques in the country. It was probably built shortly after the conquest of Berat by the Ottomans in 1417. The oldest written record dates from 1431/32. The original names were ''Mosque of the ruler'' and ''Mosque of conquest''. The mosque was used by caravans crossing the continent, and later by the Ottoman army.

Description

The mosque is located just outside the citadel within the Berat Castle. The basic dimensions were and had a wooden roof. It was built with red bricks and

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. The

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

is unusually on the left of entrance. The cylindrical part on its top is unique in Islamic culture. Inside, a small circular staircase gives access to the top for a 360° view of the castle and the city.

References

Cultural Monuments of Albania Mosques in Berat Ottoman mosques in Albania Ruins in Albania {{Albania-mosque-stub