The painted facades
Geometric and floral panels.
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The Painted Mosque, also known as Šarena Džamija, is an Ottoman mosque near the Pena River in Tetovo, in the northwest of North Macedonia. It is among the most beautiful mosques in the Balkans, with colourful facades covered in geometric and floral panels unlike almost anything else in the region. It was first built in 1438, before the conquest of Constantinople, so it is closer to traditional Anatolian mosques than to the domed mosques that followed. Unusually for the time, it was paid for by two sisters from Tetovo, Hurshida and Mensure, who still rest in an octagonal tomb in the courtyard. Abdurrahman Pasha, a lover of art and of the city, rebuilt it in 1833. Decoration covers the outside walls, with coloured squares, latticed windows and wooden columns at the entrance. The interior is richer still, with a painted wooden ceiling, Arabic calligraphy, a marble mihrab and old clocks marking the prayer times. The courtyard holds flowers, a fountain and the octagonal tomb. The mosque is still in daily use, so avoid prayer times, remove your shoes and dress modestly, and women should cover their hair. Visitors report being able to take pictures between prayers. Arabati Baba Tekke is 800 m away in a straight line, about a quarter of an hour on foot, Baltepe Fortress is 1.7 km and Skopje is about 38 km.
Geometric and floral panels.
Painted wood and calligraphy.
The sisters' resting place.
Near the Pena River, central Tetovo
Two sisters from Tetovo paid for it in 1438, and Abdurrahman Pasha rebuilt it in 1833.
Usually yes, between prayers, dressed modestly with shoes off.
