The Sultan’s Mosque (Careva Džamija) as the First Ottoman Mosque in Sarajevo

From 1457 to 1936, 107 mosques were built in Sarajevo. Out of these, 43 mosques had stone minarets, while the remaining mosques had wooden minarets. Among them, there were only eight domed mosques - seven single-domed and one multi-domed. The sole multi-domed mosque belonged to Gazi Husrev-beg.^[1]

(The first Ottoman mosque in Sarajevo was the Sultan’s mosque (Careva džamija), built in 1457 by the city’s founder, Isa-beg Ishaković)

The original simple form of the Sultan’s mosque

The first Ottoman mosque in Sarajevo was the Sultan’s mosque (Careva džamija). It was constructed in 1457 by the city’s founder, Isa-beg Ishaković (d. 1470). The mosque was a modest and compact building with a wooden minaret. It also featured a wooden roof and a stone wall surrounding it. This design was preliminary, so to speak, and was due to the limited number of Muslims residing in a newly formed quarter, which would eventually become the city of Sarajevo.

The mosque initially had limited and simple functions, reflecting its modest form. But with the city’s official establishment and the growth of its Muslim community, the mosque’s functions expanded, leading to the construction of a more substantial mosque in 1565. The new mosque was constructed in the classical Ottoman style to accommodate the increasing demands resulting from Sarajevo’s rapid growth. This occurred during the reign of Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent (d. 1566) when Mimar Sinan (d. 1588), a renowned architect and engineer, served as the chief Ottoman architect. This has led to speculation that either Mimar Sinan himself or someone associated with him, such as one of his apprentices, might have had a say in the mosque’s design and construction. There were no further expansions of the mosque until 1847.[2]

The mosque of Isa-beg Ishaković’s construction is attributed to either Sultan Mehmed II al-Fatih’s request or Isa-beg Ishaković’s initiative as a visionary leader. Robert J. Donia supports the former theory.[3] However, as per Salih Sidki Muvekkit-Hadžihuseinović, the construction of the mosque was initiated by Isa-beg Ishaković himself. But when Sultan Mehmed II al-Fatih personally arrived in Sarajevo, in conjunction with his successful conquest of Bosnia, Isa-beg Ishaković gifted the mosque to him.[4] That is why the mosque was and is still called the Sultan’s mosque.

(The initial form of the mosque was modest, featuring a wooden minaret, a wooden roof and a stone wall surrounding it)

The Sultan’s mosque as a community development center

Regardless, the mosque served more as a socio-political symbol and statement of intent than a remarkable architectural feat or a purely religious site. Similar to many other mosques in Muslim history, this mosque also aimed to stimulate urban growth, socio-political progress and community cohesion, besides the facilitation of the standard religious practices. Despite the establishment of numerous other mosques in Sarajevo, this Sultan’s mosque retained its prominence and influence. Its symbolic meaning was more important than both its physical appearance and intended use. It denoted the royal seal of approval and assistance for Sarajevo’s venture. It functioned as the cause, not the outcome.

The Sultan’s mosque was erected in the 15^th century, exactly 834 years after the building of the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah. If the Prophet’s mosque was created as a community development center with a plethora of functions representing the center of gravity in the urbanization scheme of Madinah, the Sultan’s mosque in Sarajevo was the heart and prime mover of a chain of institutions that were built separately and were to function independently. Dotting the designated landscape of a new city, those institutions denoted the ultimate limbs around which the city’s substance was later gradually formed, and through which its vivacity flew, sustaining the city and giving it its discernable Islamic identity.

The way those institutions were conceived, built and operated signified the climax of the institutionalization process in Islamic civilization whose embryonic phase could be traced back to Madinah and the Prophet’s mosque. Indeed, the multiple functions of the Prophet’s mosque conducted under its roof eventually evolved into independent institutions which were handled differently by different Islamic polities. However, since the Ottoman state was delicately – sometimes even rigidly – organized and administered, the notion of state-owned institutionalization was more readily pronounced.

In the spectrum of the existing institutions, the mosque institution played the leading role. The rest of institutions could derive their purpose and legitimacy from nowhere else but the extent of their affiliation with the quintessence of the mosque. The more intimately they were connected to the mosque, conceptually and functionally, the better and more fulfilling they were. The idea of the ideological institutional congruence was a must, something that was also suggested and the first seeds of which were planted during the Prophet’s development of Madinah. Such happened from within the architecturally limited and spiritually open-ended parameters of the Prophet’s mosque.

It follows that the Ottoman centralized institutionalization of development, and their institutionalized centralization of power, connoted a fine example of what the Prophet’s Madinah exemplar – and the exemplar of the Prophet’ mosque as the city’s equilibrium point – subtly entailed. All Ottoman cities tried to embrace the spirit of Madinah, in varying degrees succeeding in doing so. Hence, Sarajevo was not an exception. It goes without saying that the urban and architectural sides of Madinah stood for some of the most critical aspects of the Prophet’s Sunnah that needed to be adhered to.

In addition to the Sultan’s mosque in Sarajevo – which functioned as the primary focus, not only of the religious, but also socio-political life in the city, owing to its nigh on central position within the city’s budding configuration – Isa-beg Ishaković also built the following urban institutions: a caravanserai called Kolobara han surrounded by a series of bezistans (covered markets) some of whose original walls are still visible today; a number of commercial arteries or souks that branched off from the caravanserai and its bezistans; a palace or court as governmental headquarters (saray); a musafirhana (inn or guest house) for destitute travelers, which had four or five rooms; nine watermills, or a single huge watermill with nine waterwheels, over the Miljacka river whose income was used for running the musafirhana; a public bath or hammam which adjoined the mosque; an imaret or public soup kitchen where food was given free of charge to specific types of people and unfortunate individuals; bridges across the Miljacka river in order to link the developing new city’s core on both sides of the river and to ease the flow of people and goods; and a tekke (khankah or zawiyah) as a monastery of Sufis or dervishes which functioned partly as a religious and partly an educational establishment, complementing the similar functions of the Sultan’s mosque.

(The Sultan’s mosque functioned as a community development center. One of its nearby institutions was an exquisite public bath or hammam)

Why was there no madrasah (school)?

(Originally, the mosque was an educational center as well)

From the list of the newly established institutions, a madrasah (school) is conspicuously missing. Nonetheless, such was neither deliberate nor a sign of neglect. Schools were uniquely advanced institutions and for their existence compatibly advanced conditions were needed. Sarajevo at the time was in its infancy and its people at the rudimentary stage of religious and intellectual development. The basic educational services provided by the mosque institution – and the tekke – were considered adequate.

Schools will be established later, as soon as the prevailing conditions warranted it, and what Isa-beg Ishaković did was to pave the way for the purpose. True enough, in 1495/96, the first madrasah (school) was established in Sarajevo. The founder was Firuz-beg, the ruler of the Bosnian Sanjak. The school was described as tall and beautiful. The income from a hammam and a series of shops, watermills and gardens was dedicated to supporting the school. The establishment of the school was so significant that the residential district (mahala) in which it was located became known as the Mahala of madrasah.[5] The second school was built in 1520 by Gazi Mehmed-beg Isabegović, the son of Isa-beg Ishaković.[6] The next two schools were built by the illustrious Gazi Husrev Beg in 1531 and 1537.[7]

Intermediaries between mosques and schools were maktabs as elementary facilities where the basic level of religious education could be obtained. Maktabs were either integrated within mosques or located close by in separate buildings. Ajas-beg and Skender-beg, who were in charge of the Bosnian Sanjak, are believed to have founded the first and second maktabs in Sarajevo in 1470/71 and 1478/79, respectively.[8] After the emergence of madrasahs, maktabs played a complementary role to them. Incidentally, Mula Mustafa Bašeskija (d. 1809), a famous Bosnian chronicler, poet and retired Janissary, remarked in his “Ljetopis” (“Chronicle”) that in 1757, he became a teacher in a maktab that was part of the Ferhadija mosque – one of the leading mosques in the center of Sarajevo built in the 16^th century. The maktab was located in the eastern section of the mosque’s yard.[9]

By the way, historically, schools or madrasahs as independent educational institutions were established much later than other institutions. Before that, mosques, homes and subsequently maktabs served as educational centers to meet the needs of the community. The Prophet’s mosque in Madinah was a notable example, being one of the most outstanding and influential educational institutions ever. Its alumnae, known as the sahabah or companions of the Prophet, were considered the most exemplary generation to have lived. This is why some of the oldest Islamic universities, like the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco (founded in 857-859) and al-Azhar University in Cairo (founded in 970 or 972), initially began as mosques.

The main architectural features of the Sultan’s mosque

(To transition from a square-plan structure to a circular dome, four squinches are placed diagonally at each upper corner where the walls meet)

The Sultan’s mosque is a prime example of the traditional single-domed Ottoman mosque style in Sarajevo. Being the first Ottoman mosque in Sarajevo, it originally had a hip-roofed design with a wooden roof and minaret, setting a trend for many future mosques. Over time, the mosque underwent multiple reconstructions and repairs. The present appearance of the building is a testament to the collective resilience of both the edifice and people in facing the adversities of the city’s turbulent history.

The mosque is square and topped by a dome. The dome rests on a drum or base pierced with eight windows. To transition from a square-plan structure to a circular dome, four squinches are placed diagonally at each upper corner where the walls meet. The lower part of the squinches is transformed into small muqarnas, adding to the variety of construction forms and their harmony as well as beauty.

The mosque is well illuminated with a total of sixteen windows. Eight of these windows are located in the dome’s drum, while the other eight are situated on the entrance and qiblah walls. The entrance wall features three windows on two different levels – two windows on the lower level and one on the upper level. On the qiblah wall, there are five windows spread across three levels: two windows on the first and second levels, and one window on the third level. All the windows are arched in shape. The eight windows in the dome’s drum are adorned with circular patterns, resembling jallis. This same design is replicated inside the tympana of the windows on the first level.

The mosque has wings on the right and left sides, each accessible through small doors. These wings, about four meters wide, extend along the main prayer hall. In the beginning, they were arcades or colonnades added around the year 1800 to the main structure. That means the main structure, converted in 1565 from a simple, mostly wooden building to a domed structure principally made of stone, did not include those extra wings for about two and a half centuries. Then in 1848, both wings (arcades) were enclosed by walls and linked to the main prayer hall through the mentioned doors.^[10] The doors connecting the two spaces with the inside have a stone tympanum with the same perforated designs as those found in some of the windows. The roofs above the two wings are flat and sloped.

(The mosque is well illuminated with a total of sixteen windows)

The portico, courtyard and minaret

(In front of the mosque, there is a portico with a unique design)

In front of the mosque, there is a portico with a unique design. Unlike typical porticos in single-domed mosques, this one does not have a series of small domes on top. Instead, it features a slightly sloped flat roof. The ceiling is flat, covered with plaster, and whitewashed. This roof and the roofs of the flanking right and left wings are identical in their flat and sloped composition. They are also seamlessly linked together and as such, create a beautifully harmonious assemblage that encircles the main body of the mosque on all sides except the qibla side.

One side of the portico is connected to the mosque, while the other side is supported by seven arches held up by eight cylindrical stone pillars with muqarnas capitals. In contrast to the typical single-domed mosques with four pillars and three arches^[11] supporting the front portico, this mosque features four additional arches and four pillars for the same purpose. This adjustment was necessary due to the smaller size of the arches and pillars of this mosque’s portico, and due to the extra space provided by the building’s right and left wings.

The raised portico, standing about 60-70 cm above the ground, provides extra room for congregational prayers when the inside of the mosque is full. It also serves as the only prayer space outside of designated prayer hours when the mosque is closed. The space enclosed by the portico is around six meters in length and can accommodate four rows of worshippers. The space is divided into two sections: right and left, by a passage that leads to the main entrance of the mosque. The two sections are called sofas or trijem. Above both the right and left sections, there are two small balconies that were used for coordinating congregational prayers between the inside and outside of the mosque. The two balconies on the right and left would be occupied by a mu’adhdhin, who announces the daily prayers and assists in their execution.

(The mosque has a beautiful and peaceful courtyard with a circular water fountain at its center for ablution)

The mosque has a beautiful and peaceful courtyard with a circular water fountain at its center for ablution. Flanking the courtyard on the right and left sides are two arcades or colonnades, forming two loose axes along with the mosque’s auxiliary wings on each side. These arcades are covered by a series of domes and are supported by arches and stone pillars similar to those of the front portico. The right arcade has four domes, while the left one has three. With respect to their design, texture and color, the domes exhibit similarities to that of the mosque. The fourth and frontage side of the courtyard is occupied by the Ulema-majlis building, constructed in 1910 during the Austro-Hungarian rule.

(Flanking the courtyard on the right and left sides are two arcades or colonnades)

The mosque’s minaret features a tall and pencil-shaped design typical of the Ottoman Islamic architecture. It is topped with a lead-covered elongated conical cap and has a single balcony or gallery on the upper side of the shaft with a slightly perforated parapet. The transitional zone of the balcony, corbelling beneath and around it, is a fine muqarnas. The minaret’s base, which extends just over half the height of the mosque’s main body, is square before transitioning into a twelve-sided polygonal shape (dodecagon) as it rises into the sky. Because of the addition of the right-wing, constructed after the original mosque was built without wings, the minaret appears to be integrated within the mosque. This ostensible integration symbolizes the division between the original and added parts, as well as between the old and new sections.

(The fourth and frontage side of the courtyard is occupied by the Ulema-majlis building, constructed in 1910 during the Austro-Hungarian rule)

(The mosque’s minaret is a tall and pencil-shaped design typical of the Ottoman Islamic architecture)

From the portal to the interior

(The portal of the mosque is not as grand as some of the mosque’s counterparts in Sarajevo and beyond)

The portal of the mosque is not as grand as some of the mosque’s counterparts in Sarajevo and beyond. Perhaps the dearth of abundant and impressive ornamentation contributes to this perception. The arched entrance is set in a simple frame. Above the entrance, there is a tympanum with an intricate inscription praising the history and remarkable legacy of the mosque. The inscription also indicates that the mosque was rebuilt in 1848 under the rule of Sultan Abdulmecid I.^[12]

The mosque’s mihrab is a traditional praying niche with a muqarnas hood. It is set within a projecting rectangular frame and is surrounded by a band mainly featuring stylized floral patterns. Above and below the muqarnas hood, there are two calligraphic inscriptions from the Qur’an, emphasizing the significance of the qiblah and the role of the mihrab. Above the hood are the Qur’anic words: “So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-haram” (al-Baqarah 144). Below the hood is a more common inscription in the vocabulary of Ottoman mosque architecture: “Every time Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber (al-mihrab)” (Alu ‘Imran 37). Superimposed above the mihrab frame is a striking medallion that encloses the Islamic testimony of faith: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s messenger.”

(The mihrab is a traditional praying niche with a muqarnas hood)

The minbar or pulpit is a standard component, designed in proportion to the mosque’s size and overall look. Positioned above a stone platform, the minbar is a narrow and steep staircase climbing from a small but somewhat richly decorated doorway to a canopy, with the sides forming a perfect equilateral triangle. The elevated canopy’s borders are designed to look like the minbar’s doorway, creating a small axis. The minbar is beautified with bold and vibrant colors, but there seems to be a lack of coordination between the decorative styles of the minbar and the rest of the mosque, particularly the neighboring minbar.

There are also two elevated seats (ćurs) intended for delivering religious talks and reminders, in addition to the Friday prayer or Jumu’ah sermons which are delivered from the minbar. One seat is located at the far-left side of the qiblah wall, and the other is positioned in the middle of the left wall. The two seats were carefully crafted to enhance the mosque’s beauty, serving more as ornamental elements than functional pieces.

As soon as one enters the mosque, one notices an elevated platform to the right called mahfili or dikkah. This platform, supported by pillars without the intermediary of arches, is specifically designed to assist the mu’adhdhins carry out their duties during the congregational prayers. Adjacent to this platform is one of the above-mentioned balconies which extends outwardly over the right side of the mosque’s entrance portico. The platform is approximately three meters high and has a parapet that is around 60-70 cm tall, adorned with stone jallis and displaying elaborate geometric patterns. The platform is about three meters long and six meters wide.

(The beautiful minbar or pulpit is designed in proportion to the mosque’s size and overall look)

The interior of the dome offered itself as an enticing proposition for decoration. As expected, it was approached with a maximum artistic care. The matter was regarded as the culmination of the buildings’ decorative system. Just as the dome crowned the physical form, its decoration also crowned the rest of the mosque’s artistic expressions.

The dome’s center is adorned with a series of Allah’s beautiful names, echoing the message of the Qur’an: “And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so invoke Him by them” (al-A‘raf 180). The inscription’s content is so harmoniously consistent that its elements were stylized to create a rhythmic composition that seamlessly integrates into the dome’s abstract decorative circle. The calligraphic display of Allah’s names and the surrounding abstract decorative rings are visually intertwined.

However, the mosque’s decorative output is not original and has a more recent artistic feel. The aggression against Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 caused significant damage to the building, particularly affecting its ornamental features. Recently, the mosque underwent proper renovation. As an icon of the city, it, along with the city itself and its residents, radiates a message of resilience, survival and urban evolution.

(Left – As soon as one enters the mosque, one notices an elevated platform to the right called mahfili or dikkah) & (Right – The interior of the dome offered itself as an enticing proposition for decoration)

References

[1] Hamdija Kreševljaković, Džamija i Vakufnama Muslihuddina Čekrekčije (The Mosque and the Vakufnama of Muslihuddin Cherekcija), (Sarajevo: Državna Štamparija, 1938), p. 4.

[2] Džemal Salihspahić, Sarajevo Do Gazi Husrev-Bega (Sarajevo Before Gazi Husrev-Beg), Sarajevo: Anali Gazi Husrev-Begove Biblioteke, 6(9-10), pp. 181–206; https://www.anali-ghb.com/index.php/aghb/article/view/487, accessed on July 7, 2024.

[3] Robert J. Donia, Sarajevo: Biografija Grada (Sarajevo: A Biography), translation from English to Bosnian by Mr. Daniela Valenta, (Sarajevo: Institut za istoriju, 2006), p. 39.

[4] Salih Sidki Muvekkit-Hadžihuseinović, Povijest Bosne (History of Bosnia), translation into Bosnian by a group of translators, (Sarajevo: El-Kalem, 1998), p. 63.

[5] Ibid., p. 95.

[6] Behija Zlatar, Vakuf Gazi Mehmed-bega Isabegovića u Sarajevu (Gaz­i Mehmed-beg Isabegović’s Endowment in Sarajevo), Sarajevo, Prilozi za orijentalnu filologiju, Issue No. 55, (2006), pp. 217-226.

[7] Behija Zlatar, Zlatno Doba Sarajeva (the Golden Age of Sarajevo), (Sarajevo: Svjetlost, 1996), p. 188.

[8] Ahmed Mehmedović, Gazi Husrev-beg i Njegove Zadužbine (Gazi Husrev-beg and His Endowments), (Sarajevo: Cobiss, 2005), p. 22.

[9] Mula Mustafa Bašeskija, Ljetopis, 1746-1804, (Chronicle, 1746-1804), translated into Bosnian by Mehmed Mujezinović, (Sarajevo: Sarajevo Publishing, 1997), vol. 1 p. 40.

[10] Mehmed Mujezinović, Islamska Epigrafika u Bosni i Hercegovini (Islamic Epigraphy in Bosnia and Herzegovina), (Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1974), vol. 1 pp. 17-19.

[11] If pillars are used at both ends of the portico, leaving them open, the design differs from when end walls are used to enclose the portico. In the latter case, closed porticos have two fewer pillars.

[12] Mehmed Mujezinović, Islamska Epigrafika u Bosni i Hercegovini (Islamic Epigraphy in Bosnia and Herzegovina), vol. 1 pp. 18-19.