Tombul Mosque


The Tombul Mosque, officially the Sherif Halil Pasha Mosque, is a mosque located in Shumen, in the Shumen Province of Bulgaria. It is the largest mosque in Bulgaria and one of the largest in the Balkans.
With the complex of buildings around it, the mosque is the largest in the country in area and architectural significance and second only to the Balkan Peninsula after the Sultan Selim Mosque, located in the city of Edirne, Turkey. The Tombul Mosque was listed as a cultural monument of national importance in 1975.

History

Construction commenced in 1740 CE and was completed in during the Ottoman era, the mosque was initially located in the town centre in north-eastern Bulgaria. As the town centre moved due the enlargement of the town, the mosque is now located in the south-west part of Shumen. The mosque's name comes from the shape of its dome.
The building of the mosque was financed by Şerif Halil Pasha who was born in the village of Madara, east of Shumen.

Architecture

Image:Mosquée de Tombul - Cour intérieure.jpg|left|thumb|View from the sahn
The mosque complex consists of a main edifice, a sahn, and a twelve-room extension that was used as a boarding house of the madrasa. The mosque's architecture is influenced by the oriental architectural style "Tulip Period", that originated in the early 18th century, which is characterized by the inclusion of elements of the French Baroque.
The main edifice is in its fundamental part a square plan that is, then octagonal, passing to a circle in the middle part, and is topped by a spherical dome that is high. The prayer hall is entered through an open vestibule with tall Moorish-style arcades. It is supported by four massive marble columns; and is illuminated by four belts of window openings, the upper three belts being stained glass. There are five domes in the vestibule. The layout of the exterior and interior has plastic and baroque details.
Surveys in 2005 revealed original frescoes on the ceilings and walls, that were previously covered with paintings. The interior has mural paintings of vegetable life and geometric figures and inscriptions of Arabic, phrases from the Qur'an. The sahn is known for the arches in front of the twelve rooms that surround it and the minaret is high.