Banya Bashi Mosque

Banya Bashi Mosque
Баня Баши джамия
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Status	Active
Location
Location	Sofia, Bulgaria
Location within Sofia
Geographic coordinates	42°41′58″N 23°19′21″E
Architecture
Architect(s)	Mimar Sinan
Style	Ottoman architecture
Completed	1566
Specifications
Dome dia. (inner)	15 m
Minaret(s)	1
Materials	brick

Banya Bashi Mosque (Template:Lang-bg, Banya bashi dzhamiya; Template:Lang-tr) is a mosque in Sofia, Bulgaria.

History

Banya Bashi Mosque from the west

The mosque was designed by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan and completed in 1566, during the years the Ottomans had control of the city. The mosque derives its name from the phrase Banya Bashi, which means many baths. The most outstanding feature of the mosque is that it was actually built over natural thermal spas; one can even see the steam rising from vents in the ground near the mosque walls. The mosque is famous for its large dome, diameter 15m, and the minaret.

Currently, the Banya Bashi Mosque is the only functioning mosque in Sofia, a remnant of the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria that lasted nearly five centuries, and is used by the city's Muslim community.

See also

• Turks in Bulgaria
• Ottoman architecture
• Islam in Bulgaria

External links

• Banya Bashi Mosque
• Historical photographs of the Banya Bashi Mosque