Mosque
Namazgah Mosque
Kosovo’s oldest Ottoman monument, an open‑air mosque built by Mehmed the Conqueror in 1455 that still stands as a powerful symbol of faith and resilience on the edge of Prizren.
Getting There
📍 Getting There: North of Prizren city center, near the Regional Hospital (Qendra për Mjekësi Familjare), directly across from the main bus station. A 20‑minute walk from Shadërvan Square.
🕒 Open Hours: Always accessible; best viewed during daylight hours.
♿ Accessibility: Located on a flat area; paved paths from nearby streets. Open‑air nature means no steps to navigate.
Sacred Architecture & Interfaith Researcher
Blerta Hoti
Insider tips
Photography: The restored minaret and open prayer space photograph best in the afternoon light.
Local tip: Visit during a quiet weekday morning for a more contemplative experience.
Insight: One of only four remaining open‑air mosques (Namazgah) in the entire Balkans (sources: two in Kosovo, one in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one in Bulgaria).
Loacally Know as
Xhamia e Namazgjahut
Namazgah, aslo known locally as the “Kërëk Xhamia” (Broken Mosque), is the first Muslim place of worship ever built in Prizren. It was constructed in 1455 by order of Sultan Mehmed II, better known as Mehmed the Conqueror, so that his soldiers could perform their religious duties immediately after capturing the city.
The open‑air prayer space was built just outside the city walls, becoming the first Ottoman artifact in Prizren. The original structure featured a minbar (pulpit) and mihrab built of cut and dry stone, with a minaret that stood 6.3 meters high before later being reduced to 5.85 meters over time.
After the end of Ottoman rule in 1912, the site fell into disrepair. A health center and workplace were built on the mosque grounds, and what remained was largely forgotten. In 1990, the Muslim community of Prizren performed the Bayram (Eid) prayer at the ruins to draw attention to its existence and push for restoration.
Restoration finally began after a 2001 agreement between the Turkish Battalion Task Force in Kosovo, Prizren Municipality, and the Prizren Institute for the Protection of Historical Monuments. The work was completed on 5 April 2002, faithfully reconstructing the mosque according to its original design. The surrounding area was landscaped under the supervision of Turkey’s Gazi University in cooperation with TIKA.
