Ferhat Pasha Mosque in the city of Banja Luka s one of the greatest achievements of Bosnia and Herzegovina's 16th century Ottoman Islamic architecture. The mosque was demolished in 1993 at the order of the authorities of Republika Srpska as a part of ethnic cleansing campaign, and was rebuilt and opened in 2016.

Commissioned by the Bosnian Sanjak-bey Ferhad Pasha Sokolović, the mosque was built in 1579 with money that, as tradition has it, were paid by the Auersperg family for the severed head of the Habsburg general Herbard VIII von Auersperg and the ransom for the general's son after a battle at the Croatian border in 1575, where Ferhad Pasha was triumphant.

The mosque was one of 16 destroyed in the city of Banja Luka during the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995. The Serb militia blew up the Ferhadija Mosque on the night of 6–7 May 1993. May 6 is the date of the Serbian Orthodox holiday of Đurđevdan (Saint George's day). The minaret survived the first explosion, but was then razed to the ground.

In June 2007 repairs were completed on the foundations that survived the destruction, and reconstruction of the masonry and the rest of the building was completed over the next nine years, with the mosque reopening in on 7 May 2016.

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Founded: 1579/2016
Category: Religious sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Simon Weppel (2 years ago)
Interesting place. Mosque from the 16th century. Restored in 2017 with help from Turkey.
Iñigo Duran (2 years ago)
Fantastic time spent in the mosque with the local people. Perfect explanation of the history of the mosque.
Teks Viler (2 years ago)
Basically a newly built mosque. Nothing of interest. Avoid.
Azra Berbic (2 years ago)
Ferhadija Mosque is one of the most beautiful buildings in Banja Luka, it's also a national monument and it is definitely worth visiting and learning about it's history. Across the mosque you have a small coffee shop where you can drink Bosnian coffee and also near the mosque there's a place where you can eat the best pita in the city.
Imano Panjeta (2 years ago)
Beautiful, completely restored mosque that was blown up and obliterated from the face of the earth, now stands in its full pride, honoring its original endower and the history of Muslims and Bosniaks in Banja Luka.
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