King Mosque, Berat

The King Mosque, also known as the Sultan's Mosque or Sultan Bayezid Mosque, is a mosque located in Berat City, Berat County, Albania. Completed in 1492 CE, the mosque was designated as a Cultural Monument of Albania in 1948.

Overview

The mosque in was first built in 1492, but it was almost completely destroyed during the Ottoman campaign against the Albanian revolts of 1830–31. Ottoman commander Reshid Pasha, whose artillery caused the damage, had the mosque rebuilt from the ground up, following older local architectural traditions. The result is one of Albania’s largest mosques, featuring a portico larger than the prayer hall and an innovative system of ten shallow domes with octagonal wooden inlays, richly decorated with geometric and calligraphic designs, including a band listing the 99 Names of Allah. A women’s gallery on the north side enhances the hall’s spatial character. In 1967 the portico was altered and the minaret demolished, but both were later restored according to the original plans.