Ali Pasha Mosque, Ohrid

Within the Old Bazaar of Ohrid the Ali Pasha Mosque lies. It is nearly on the Main Square, close to the 1,000-year old Chinar tree. The fountain in the square sprays and gushes. Many, many years have gone by. The history of the mosque is shorter than that of the tree, but it is long.

The Mosque was built in 1573 by Sulejman Pasha. It was intended as a place of worship and as a secondary school. A reliquary of the bygone rule of the Ottomans, the Mosque is one of the first mosques to be built in Macedonia.

The mosque is constructed of stone and fired brick. There were two minarets. One located on the south side of the mosque was demolished in 1912. The mosque was built with a central dome and an entrance hall covered with three domes. There is a tall minaret on the side. At times, the Square reverberates to the Adzan call to prayer.

Included within the mosque compound are a Turkish bath and a mausoleum. Renovations and restorations have been carried out in recent years by the Turkish Directorate General of Foundations.