Osman Shah Mosque

The Osman Shah Mosque (Greek: Τέμενος Οσμάν Σαχ) or Kursum Mosque (Κουρσούμ Τζαμί, from Turkish: kurşun camii, lit. 'Leaden Mosque') is a 16th-century Ottoman mosque in the city of Trikala in Greece.

Osman Shah Mosque
Τέμενος Οσμάν Σαχ
View of the mosque in 2016
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
LocationTrikala, Greece
Location of the mosque in Greece
Geographic coordinates39°33′0.38″N 21°46′16.13″E
Architecture
Architect(s)Mimar Sinan
TypeMosque
StyleOttoman architecture
Groundbreakingc. 1566/67
Completed1570
Specifications
Dome dia. (outer)18 m (59 ft)
Minaret(s)1
MaterialsAlternating layers of stone and brick

The mosque was commissioned by Osman Shah, also known as Kara Osman Pasha, who was the son of one of Sultan Selim I's daughters and the executed vizier İskender Pasha (died 1515). Osman Shah for a long time dwelt in Trikala as the governor of the local province, the Sanjak of Trikala.[1][2] The mosque was designed by the Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan and is the only one that he designed in modern Greece.

The exact dating of the mosque is uncertain, but it was probably built in the period 1550–60, most likely in the late 1550s.[1][2] Osman attached several charitable establishments to the mosque, among others a madrasah, an alms house, and a caravanserai, and was himself buried in a türbe in the mosque's southern courtyard at the time of his death in 1567/8.[1] By the time of Evliya Çelebi's visit a century later, the mosque was the principal mosque of the city.[2]

It is also the only mosque still standing in the city of Trikala out of the at least eight that Evliya Çelebi reported seeing.[1][2] The building itself consists of a square prayer hall topped by a large 18 metres (59 ft) diameter semi-spherical dome.[3] The portico (revak) in front, was completely rebuilt in the renovations carried out in 1998.[3][4] The ashlar minaret is located on the northwestern corner and is well preserved, except for its missing roof. All other buildings attached to the mosque have since vanished, except for the founder's octagonal türbe (tomb), which is used as a storage site for artefacts recovered from archaeological excavations.[1] The mosque is no longer used for worship; it now functions as a venue for minor events and is a protected UNESCO site.

See also

References
  1. Mantzana, Krystallo. "Κουρσούμ Τζαμί: Περιγραφή" (in Greek). Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  2. Yerolimpos, Alexandra (2000). "Tirḥāla". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume X: T–U. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 539–540. ISBN 978-90-04-11211-7.
  3. Necipoğlu 2005, pp. 442-443.
  4. "Osman Shah Camii". Archnet. Retrieved 2 December 2018.

Sources
  • Necipoğlu, Gülru (2005). The Age of Sinan: Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire. London: Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-253-9.
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