Tomb of Sultan Murad I

About this place

The Tomb of Sultan Murad I is a small Ottoman building in the village of Mazgit near Pristina, raised at the place where the sultan died in 1389 and known in Turkish as Meşhed-i Hüdâvendigâr. It is the first example of Ottoman architecture in Kosovo. Many visitors come from Turkey and the wider region, and it holds religious significance for the country's Muslims. Murad's son Bayezid I built it in the 14th century, according to Wikipedia. Murad's internal organs were buried here, while his body was taken to Bursa, where he has a second tomb. The traveller Evliya Çelebi mentioned it in 1660. Sources say Sultan Abdulhamid II restored it in 1896, when a house for travellers was added next door that now holds a small museum. One family has looked after the site since 1854. You pass through an iron gate between stone pillars into a quiet garden, then see a low octagonal stone building under a lead-covered dome. Before it stand two tall stone markers, with trees and roses along the path. The stone turns golden in the late sun, and the museum next door gives explanations in Albanian, Turkish and English. It is about 7 km in a straight line from central Pristina, a short drive or taxi ride away. We found no reliable official hours, so ask before you go. Dress modestly, women should cover their hair inside the tomb, remove your shoes, keep quiet and do not photograph people at prayer.