White Mosque (Srebrenica)

White Mosque
Bijela džamija
Minaret of the White Mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
  • (17th century–1995)
  • (since 2002– )
StatusActive
Location
LocationSrebrenica, Republika Srpska
CountryBosnia and Herzegovina
Location of the mosque
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Interactive map of White Mosque
Coordinates44°06′10″N 19°18′00″E / 44.10279°N 19.29994°E / 44.10279; 19.29994
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleOttoman
Funded byGovernment of Malaysia (2002)
Completed
  • 17th century (original)
  • 2002 (rebuilt)
Destroyed1995 (during the Bosnian War)
Minaret1

The White Mosque (Bosnian: Bijela džamija), also known as the Hajji Skenderbeg's Mosque, is a mosque located in the town of Srebrenica, in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1]

History

Initially on the site was the Catholic Church of Saint Nicholas, built in 1394 by Croatian merchants from Dubrovnik (Ragusa) and dedicated to this patron saint of travelers.[2] After the conquest of the area by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century the Catholics started leaving the area.

The Ottoman-style mosque was built in the 17th century on the ruins of the church after the departure of the last Franciscans from Srebrenica.[1] In 1935, the mosque underwent extensive restoration and extension work for another hall. Also, its appearance changed significantly at that time, and the minaret was in the middle of the building.[1]

The army and police of Republika Srpska demolished the mosque to its foundations in 1995 during the Bosnian War. It was rebuilt with a donation from the government of Malaysia and reopened on September 28, 2002.[1] Repair work on the roof and further renovation work through private donations was done in 2020.[3]

In the courtyard of the mosque there is also a centuries-old Muslim cemetery (šehitluk).[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Religijsko bogatstvo: Bijela džamija u Srebrenici" (in Bosnian). July 5, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Srebrenica povijest". Župa Srca Isusova Zvornik-Srebrenica (in Bosnian).
  3. ^ "Medžlis IZ Srebrenica". www.facebook.com (in Bosnian).

Further reading

  • Media related to White Mosque (Srebrenica) at Wikimedia Commons