Frescoes
In the portico.
Fingalo — CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Dori — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fabiola Muhollari — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ShkelzenRexha — CC BY-SA 4.0 · David.r.1929 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · aXeLuS — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Aktron at Czech Wikipedia — Public domain · Martin Brož — CC BY 3.0
A small historic mosque on Skanderbeg Square, begun by Molla Bey around 1791 and finished in 1819 by his son Haji Et'hem Bey; together with the Clock Tower beside it, it forms one of Tirana's best-known landmarks. It is famous for the frescoes inside and outside its portico, showing trees, waterfalls and bridges in soft colours, rare in a mosque, along with its small dome and slender minaret. Closed with all other places of worship under communism, it reopened for prayer in 1991 at a historic gathering of some ten thousand people, held without the authorities' permission, and became a symbol of the return of religious freedom in Albania. Visitors are welcome daily outside prayer times; take off your shoes before entering the inner hall and dress modestly. A quarter of an hour is enough, and the Clock Tower next door is worth a look too.
In the portico.
And Clock Tower.
Prayer restored.
Skanderbeg Square, Tirana
Skanderbeg SquareThe main square at the heart of Tirana, named after the Albanian national hero S1 minute walk4.4
Great Mosque of Tirana (Namazgah Mosque)Tirana's great mosque, known as the Namazgah Mosque after the old prayer ground 6 minutes walk4.9
Pyramid of TiranaA pyramid-shaped building of concrete and glass in central Tirana, opened in 1987 minutes walk4.1Its rare frescoes of trees, waterfalls and bridges, and its reopening in 1991 after all places of worship had been closed under communism.