The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Mostar

An excellent example of Ottoman architecture in Mostar is the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque.

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Mostar represents another extraordinary piece of Ottoman architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides the Karadzoz Bey Mosque, this is the most known and most monumental mosque in Mostar.

It was built in the year 1618/19 and represents the large construction of classical Ottoman architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mehmed Koskija, the founder of the mosque, was the chronicler of the great vizier Lala Mehmed Sokolovic. He died in 1611, and the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque was finished by his brother Mahmud. Besides the mosque, he built a madrasah too.

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque has a one-space floor plan with a dome. Designed in the main architecture office in Istanbul, it was built from precisely tanned stone blocks. Its architectural design is very similar to the Karadzoz Beg Mosque, which probably served as a model. Unlike the Karadzoz Beg Mosque, the minaret of the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque is slightly lower, without the stalactite decoration in the area of sherefe. It has a porch with three domes, and an extraordinary well-crafted mihrab and mimbar. The proportions of the Mosque are especially distinguished. The location of the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque is quite specific as it is placed on the cliffs of the Neretva River, in the centre of the city.

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, dome / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, L. The carpet, gift from Austrian monarch Franjo Josip / R. Mihrab / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

During the war in Bosnia (1992-95), it was badly damaged by the Croatian military forces, and its restoration took place during 1996-2001. The Mosque used to have an extraordinary collection of the manuscripts of the Qur'an, from which some were preserved but today they belong to other collections. The Mosque also possesses the carpet which was a gift from Austrian monarch Franjo Josip. The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque represents also one of the most popular touristic destinations in Mostar.

This article is part of the project 'Promotion of the Ottoman Cultural Heritage of Bosnia and Turkey' which is organized by Monolit, Association for Promoting Islamic Arts and supported by the Republic of Turkey (YTB - Prime Ministry, Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities).