WHITE MOSQUE OF ŠEREFUDIN

This mosque (Šerefudinova Bijela Džamija) is one of the most avant-garde of the 20th century in Europe. It was built in 1980 on the site of a ruined wooden mosque built in 1477 by an Ottoman architect named Šerefudin. The complex of white walls and green lead roofs totals 435^m2. It consists of the mosque itself (169^m2), which can accommodate 300 worshippers, a courtyard with a conical chadirvan (ablution fountain), a small ancient cemetery and annex buildings. The ensemble is dominated by a main minaret of 26 m high decorated with metal rods painted in green whose forms evoke the local traditional art. The roofs are remarkable. They have high quarter-circle openings that break the lines and allow natural light to enter the interior rooms. This benefits the large prayer room, located below ground level. This one is beautiful with its entirely white walls. Only two elements are made of wood: a staircase and the mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca). Awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Prize for Architecture in 1983, the White Mosque of Visoko was designed by Zlatko Ugljen, born in Mostar in 1929. He was also responsible for Tito's former villa Gorica in Bugojno, the Franciscan monastery in Tuzla and, in Visoko, the Post Office building (along the Fojnička, left bank) and the former High Hotel Visoko (along the Bosna, left bank).