Lead Mosque, Berat

Lead Mosque
Xhamia e Plumbit
The mosque in 2019
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
StatusActive
Location
LocationRruga Gaqi Gjika, Berat, Berat County
CountryAlbania
Location of the mosque in Albania
Interactive map of Lead Mosque
Coordinates40°42′16″N 19°57′19″E / 40.7045°N 19.9554°E / 40.7045; 19.9554
Architecture
TypeIslamic architecture
StyleOttoman
FounderAhmet Bej Uzgurliu
Completed961 AH (1553/1554 CE)
Specifications
Dome1
Minaret1
MaterialsLead
Official nameLead Mosque, Berat

The Lead Mosque (Albanian: Xhamia e Plumbit; Turkish: Kurşun Camii, lit.'Kurşunlu Mosque'), also known as the Izgurli Mosque, is a mosque located in the city of Berat, in the Berat County, south-central Albania. The mosque is named from the lead coating of its sphere-shaped domes.[1] The mosque was designated as a Cultural Monument of Albania.[2]

Overview

The mosque was completed in 961 AH (1553/1554 CE) by Ahmet Bej Uzgurliu, a local nobleman, at the time a vassal of the Skuraj family.[3] Explorer Evliya Çelebi’s description told of carved stones underneath the lead, topping off a complex including a bazaar, madrasa, imaret, school, Turkish bath, and shadirvan. The prayer hall is square with a northern portico and a tall, thin minaret molded in cloisonné where it meets the roof. Many windows light the interior.

The mosque was restored in 2014 by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Garwood, Duncan (2009). Mediterranean Europe. Lonely Planet. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-74104-856-8. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  2. ^ "Lead Mosque in Downtown Berat, Albania" (image). Cultural Inventory. March 15, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  3. ^ Vehbiu, Ardian (October 5, 2015). "PLLAKA E SKURËS". Peizazhe të Fjalës (in Albanian). Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "Turkish agency restores 5 Ottoman-era legacies in Albania". Daily Sabah. March 3, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2025.

Further reading

  • Anamali, Skënder; Prifti, Kristaq (2002). Historia e popullit shqiptar: vëllimi i parë (in Albanian). Tirana: Toena. ISBN 9992716223.
  • Manahasa, Edmond (2006). The Existing Mosques Built During Ottoman Empire in Albania (Thesis). Epoka University – via ResearchGate.

Media related to Lead Mosque in Berat at Wikimedia Commons