So this is a story about some
of the major mosques in Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH). It is mainly for me, but you know me – I’m a
giver. All the pictures can be selected
to increase in size – or display as a set.
The mosques really fascinated me
because of my (and my guess is most American’s) expectations of Islam. I expect an unwelcoming, dour place, full of “Death
to Americans” posters on the wall – and it isn’t like that at all. My visiting of mosques is limited to
primarily tourist-ish areas like BiH or Istanbul, Turkey, so perhaps they are
just used to visitors, but I don’t think that is it. Coming from a Protestant background, mosques
feel spiritual, but not religious. There
are no pews; there isn’t the ‘hushed awe’ that normally fills a large church or
cathedral. Mosques, even large
historical ones, are much more like local churches, used every day. Much of this is because most mosques host
prayers five times a day. Usually not a
“sermon” from an imam, but just personal prayer directed towards Mecca.
As an American, I also have a
knee jerk reaction that Muslims are a violent people, not just intolerant, but
hateful or non-Muslims. I “know”
this is wrong, but I still have there is gut reaction, so visiting the Mosques
of Bosnia Herzegovina is important to me so see Muslims as just people.
Sarajevo
The main mosque in Sarajevo has
the most beautiful interior of any I visited in BiH. It was built by the man who basically set up
Sarajevo as the capital of the Ottoman province of Bosnia, Gazi Husrev Bey and
is, therefore, called the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque. He was born of a Bosnian father (convert to
Islam) and a Turkish mother, who was the daughter of the Sultan. Since Gazi
Husrev Bey moved the capital and businesses to Sarajevo, he needed a major
mosque.
Even foot washing fountain is
historically important. The fountain was
built in the 1500s with marble from Turkey and water was piped (clay piped) in from a spring a few
kilometers away. In the olden days,
people had to wash their feet before entering a mosque. Nowadays, people just removed their shoes –
either way it is respectful to the mosque, but the fountain is ornate and beautiful.
The inside of the mosque is
ornate with inlaid tiles. In Islam, calligraphy
is considered artwork, and so you will often see carved or tiled lettering
inside or outside a mosque. The ceiling
here is beautiful.
The tile work here from the ceiling (on right) and the detail from a corner (on the left) shows the calligraphy as art.
Inside nearly all mosques are a few common architectural detail.The semicircular niche in the mosque is the Mihrab, which is directed towards mecca. There is also a minbar, which is a stairway
from which the Iman often leads prayers.
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| Mihrab on left and Minbar on right. |
There are two other important
mosques in Sarajevo; neither are as easily accessible.
The first is The Emperor’s Mosque, which was built
adjacent to the Ottoman’s Beg’s residence (a Beg or Bey was the head of the
Bosnian province’s government – differences in spelling are regional). This is on the south bank and the more
residential part of old Sarajevo.
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| The Emperor's Mosque and the attached cemetery |
The other important mosque is Ali-pasha
Mosque, significant more for the recent war than anything else. The Ali-pasha Mosque was on the very front
lines of the Sarajevo siege line, and was heavily damaged by Serbian forces.
The cemetery outside is heavy with the burial markers of Muslims killed in that
war. It anchors one side of suicide
alley – a thing strip of Sarajevo low land where Serbian snipers controlled the
hills on either side.
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| Ali-pasha Mosque in front of the main road once known as "sniper alley" |
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| The tombs of the Martyrs |
Jajce
The main mosque in Jajce, the old Bosnian capital is right
in old town, Esma Sultana Mosque. It is a gorgeous building standing out in
bright relief from other era’s buildings also crowded into the Old Town. Old Town Jajce has major buidlings form the
Roman era, Medieval era, the Gothic period, the Austrian and faux Moorish. The Mosque is one of the principal Ottoman
buildings.
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| Esma Sultana Mosque, below the Jajce Citadel |
There is a legend with this
mosque. Supposedly the beautiful Sultana
(wife of a Bosnian Vizier) was fell ill.
She went to a seer and was told that if she built a mosque where the
“two rivers meet”, meaning the River Vrbase and PIiva, she would be
healed. She did not live longer enough
to see the mosque completed, but the people finished after her death. It was made to be beautiful and elegant to
honor the Sultana’s memory.
Mostar
Although not the oldest or the biggest Mosque
in Mostar, the Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque
is the most accessible. It is open and
welcoming of tourists. It is a rather
simple Mosque, with a lovely courtyard.
It is remarkable because of it’s openness.
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| Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque |
Mostar was (and still is) horribly
damaged by the war of the 1990s. The
Serbians first tried to take the city, and they had it surrounded. After a UN brokered agreement, they pulled
back and the Croatians turned on their Bosniak (Muslim) allies. Terrible fighting flared again. Croatian forces (driving to be part of a
Greater Croatia) mounted anti aircraft guns in the hills – but there were no
flights above so they turn the guns on the Muslims.
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| The view from the Mosque's Minaraet |
Croat shelling ultimately
brought down the 500 year old “Old Bridge” – and damaged the Pasa Mosque. Even today the Croats erected a massive cross
on the hill where the anti-aircraft guns were to remind the Muslims.
The Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque’s
openness then is a testament to building bridges, physical and metaphorical,
between the different ethnicities. You
can climg the minaret in the Mosque (the only one I have been invited to climb)
and get the best view of the Mostar Old Bridge and Old Town from anywhere in
the city.
Some Things You Might Notice
Accessing the mosques in Bosnia
there are some things you will notice as you travel. The first is that the sexes are separated
when praying. This is also the fashion
of older Jewish synagogues, where the men and women prayed in different
areas. For visitors, the separation is
not expected, that is men and women can visit together.
In the Federation sections of
Bosnia Herzegovina, almost every city and town will have a few mosques. Even remote villages will have one. In the Sprksa Republic (the Serbian dominated
area) you will find significantly fewer of them, many have not be rebuilt since
the war. That may change as the
population of BiH resettles into their old surroundings.
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| Mihrab and Minbar of the Mostar Mosque |
Then there is mosque
etiquette. Just like you wouldn’t walk
into a Christian Church topless or with a “Stan Rocks!” T-shirt, Mosques have
their own decorum. Women will normally
be requested to cover their hair lightly with a scarf (this didn’t seem to be
the case in BiH, but is can’t hur tot pack a light scarf). Long pants or skirts should be worn. In many mosques in Turkey and Asia, leg
coverings will be given to visitors, in a pinch long shorts and skirts can be
pulled down below the knee. Finally, shoes
must be removed.
The more visited a mosque, the
more prepared they will be for visitors – the Blue Mosque in Istanbul has a
pickup area at the entrance to get leg coverings, and a bag to put you shoes
in, with a drop off area outside the exit.
The Pasa Mosque in Mostar doesn’t always expect all visitors to follow
the rules. But to be on the safe side,
it is better to be prepared.
Finally, unlike many European
Churches, visitors are usually welcome at preayer time. Most prayers are silent and done by
individuals, close to the minbar, so just stay quiet and out of the way. Don’t use flash (or loud) cameras and keep
discussions minimal or to a low whisper.
It is just being respectful of a place of worship.
If you follow the simple rules,
you will find a wonderful people, amazing architecture and perhaps get some
second thoughts about the Muslim people, who we rarely interact with.