TIRANA, Aug 3 /ATA/ – Preparatory work has begun for the restoration of the Muradie Mosque in the southern Albanian city of Vlora, one of the country’s most significant examples of Ottoman architecture, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports said on Monday.
The restoration project, prepared by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in cooperation with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), aims to preserve the monument’s historical, architectural and cultural significance.
The Ministry said restoration work, to be carried out under the supervision of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Vlora, will begin shortly and will follow modern conservation standards while preserving the monument’s authenticity and historical integrity.
The investment is expected to safeguard one of Vlora’s most important cultural heritage landmarks and ensure its preservation for future generations.
The Muradie Mosque, located near Flag Square in the centre of Vlora, was built in 1542 on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, according to an inscription formerly displayed at its entrance. It is traditionally attributed to the celebrated Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan, often referred to as the “Michelangelo of the East.”
The mosque is distinguished by its 12-sided drum rising above a cubic prayer hall – a classic feature of early Ottoman and regional mosque architecture, designed to transition a square room into a rounded dome – a semicircular mihrab facing the main entrance, and a carved stone minaret with stalactite-style decorative elements. The site is regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of Ottoman religious architecture in Albania.
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