The marble plaque
Eight verses.
This illustration was made by Rašo. An email to Rašo would be appreciated too. — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petar Milošević — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pudelek (Marcin Szala) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ymblanter — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ymblanter — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Ishak Çelebi Mosque, popularly called the Ishakiye, is the largest mosque in Bitola, standing on the north bank of the Dragor river at the western end of the Old Bazaar, across the street from the Bezisten. It was built in 1506 by the judge Ishak Çelebi, son of Isa Fakıh, and the quarter around it took his name. Above its entrance a marble plaque carries an inscription of eight verses in eight equal fields, giving the date as a chronogram in Naskh script; it opens with the Basmala and prays that the builder's happiness may last and his honour grow in Paradise. With the nearby Yeni Mosque it is among the most important Ottoman monuments in the city, its large dome and tall minaret rising above the bazaar roofs. It is an active mosque that welcomes visitors outside prayer times: dress modestly, women cover their hair, and shoes come off at the door. It is a few steps from the Bezisten, the Old Bazaar and the Clock Tower, so it fits easily into a walk around the centre.
Eight verses.
Above the bazaar.
Heart of the market.
North bank of the Dragor at the western end of the Old Bazaar, Bitola
Clock TowerThe Clock Tower, or Saat Kula, is one of Bitola's landmarks, standing in the hea2 minutes walk4.6
Old BazaarBitola's Old Bazaar, the Čaršija, lies on the north bank of the Dragor river in 4 minutes walk
Širok SokakŠirok Sokak, the «wide alley» in Turkish, is a long pedestrian street that is th7 minutes walk4.6The Ishak Çelebi Mosque, built in 1506 on the Dragor river by the Old Bazaar.