MOSQUE OF THE EMPEROR OF SARAJEVO

This Ottoman mosque (Careva Džamija) is one of the most important in the country. It was the first to be founded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1457. But the current version dates from 1565. The first was dedicated to Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (1444-1446) and the second to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566). It kept its original name, however, the tradition that the Ottoman sultans bear the title of emperor inherited from the Byzantines. The complex is presented in the form of a closed court created in the nineteenth century. The entrance facing the Miljacka River is framed by two wings with lead roofs added in 1880. One then enters a courtyard with colonnades housing the ablutions fountain and overlooking the mosque itself. Almost square (15.63 x 15.66 m), it is topped by a large lead-covered dome and flanked by a minaret with a sculpted base 47 m high. Two annex rooms (1880) are connected to the main room, bringing the capacity to 500 worshippers. The 16th century complex included a residence for the sultan's representatives and a hammam, both of which have now disappeared. As for the Emperor's Bridge (1792), which connects the mosque to the Baščaršija district, it was moved about ten meters upstream from the Miljacka during the Austro-Hungarian period. The mosque suffered significant damage during the last two wars, including the 1992-1996 siege. It has undergone a complete restoration completed in 2016.