Great Mosque of Durrës

The Great Mosque of Durrës, also called the New Mosque and also the Grand Mosque, is a mosque, located in the port-town of Durrës, in the Durrës County of Albania. The mosque is designated as a Cultural Monument of Albania.

Overview

The mosque was built in 1931 under the Kingdomship of King Ahmed Zogu on the site of an older mosque from Ottoman times. By the day of its opening, it was the largest mosque in Albania. The architects were Italian as the result of an Italian-Albanian cooperation. The goal of the architecture of the building was to have influence from Islamic tradition while also incorporating Durrës-style columns. When the mosque was completed, there was a celebration which included many foreign delegations.
Alongside other houses of worship during the Communist rule of Enver Hoxha, the mosque was closed in 1967 and its minaret was destroyed. Most other mosques of the Ottoman era were destroyed. The mosque was subsequently used for profane purposes, as a youth centre. The building was damaged by an earthquake in 1979.
With the help of the International Islamic Relief Organization of the Muslim World League, the mosque was reopened again in 1993.