Mosque of Muderis Ali Efendi

Muderis Ali Efendi (also called the Mosque of Myderis Ali Efendisë/Albanian: Xhamia e Myderis Ali Efendisë, Myderiz Ali Efendi Mosque/Albanian: Xhamia e Myderriz Ali Efendisë and also named (Mosque of Ali Hoxha/Albanian: Xhamia e Ali Hoxhës) and is a mosque in Prizren, Kosovo. Built between 1543-1581, it is one of the oldest mosques in Kosovo.[1] It is situated on the street "Rr. Papa Gjon Pali"[2]down the hill from the Catholic Cathedral of Prizren, with its triangle shaped space it occupies 877 m 2,[3] it was declared by Prizren Municipality in 1989 as a cultural monument.[4] Its founder, Ali Effendi, who was at that time the Muderis of Prizren is buried in the garden.[5] After the Second World War it was used as a Red Cross center and was heavily damaged because of the improper conduct. In 1963 fire broke out and thus damaged the Mosque even more (according to the city there was a fire in 1975[6]), because of these events it lost its originality of an old monument. It was famous for the 1908 three year boycott of catholic shops in Prizren.

Contents

Three year boycott of the Catholic shops

What makes this mosque characteristic is its role during the boycott of the Catholic Albanian shops that started in 1905. During this time Muslim population didn't engage in any economic activity with the above mentioned shops. The cause of this boycott was the finding of the pigs head in this Mosque right before the morning prayer. Because the Mosque is situated near the Catholic Church, people thought that it was a provocation of the Catholic Albanians and in coordination with the Main Imam took decision to boycott the Catholic Enterprises.

It was proven that, this was a provocation which was organized by the Serbian Rector of the Orthodox Church School (Bogoslovija) called Petar Kostić which was done in order to divide the Albanians who at that time were fighting for the independence from the Ottoman Empire. The citizens of Prizren still remember this tragic episode of their history.[7]

Picture gallery

References

  1. ^ List of Mosques in Albania.
  2. ^ http://www.inyourpocket.com/kosovo/prizren/Sightseeing/Mosques/Myderiz-Ali-Efendi-Mosque_62370v?all_chapters=1
  3. ^ Catastral Record nr 3297 of the Municipality of Prizren
  4. ^ Decision of Prizren Municipality nr. 411/1989
  5. ^ Historijsko Geografska Analiza urbanih funkcija Prizrena by Dr. Esat Haskuka
  6. ^ http://www.komuna-prizreni.org/?page=1,162
  7. ^ Prizreni i Lashte - Morfologjia e ecurive per ruajtjen e kultures materiale by Muhamed Shukriu

Bibliography

External links