Djamila
Bosnjakinja
I've had my share of controversial discussions in our Islamic subforum, and I'm sure there will be more in the future. I do, however, want to contribute something here that every Muslim from any corner of the world can view as a positive contribution.
So, this is the first post in what I'm hoping to turn into a series: A Mosque's Story. In these threads I'll share as much information as I possibly can about one particular mosque and we can celebrate the beauty and history of our places of worship.
It's my pleasure to dedicate my first thread in this series to the Dervish-Pasha Bajezidagic Mosque.
So, this is the first post in what I'm hoping to turn into a series: A Mosque's Story. In these threads I'll share as much information as I possibly can about one particular mosque and we can celebrate the beauty and history of our places of worship.
It's my pleasure to dedicate my first thread in this series to the Dervish-Pasha Bajezidagic Mosque.
The Dervish-Pasha Bajezidagic Mosque is nicknamed the Podhum Mosque because it is located in the Podhum neighborhood of Mostar, in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands on the left bank of the bluest river in the world, the Neretva River, and it is built on Medreska (Of the Medresa) Street.
Mostar first came under Islamic rule in 1468 at which time a carsija (urban marketplace) was constructed and the few existing villages in the area were centralized. Residential districts called mahalas grew and one of these was Podhum.
The Podhum mahala was the birthplace of Dervish, son of Bajezidaga - who was an important Bosnian ruler twice elected to office in 1592 and again in 1601. Bosnian names worked more simply in those days so Dervish son of Bajezidaga simply became Dervish Bajezidagic.
Dervish was a poet and, beginning in 1592, he constructed the Podhum Mosque which bears his name still today. He also built Islamic schools and a library beside it. The mosque was completed in 1597 and, in a demonstration of Dervish's high level of education and poetic heart, he used the Persian language in all documents related to the construction of the mosque.
The deed recognizing the mosque reveals that Dervish had several employees at the mosque, including an Imam who was paid the equivalent of $13 per day, as well as a muezzin to sing the call to prayer for $5 per day.
Dervish used money raised from worshippers to construct nine buildings in Mostar, as well as a mill on the River Buna which is still today a very important Sufi shrine. He also used the money to teach Jalaluddin Rumi's Mathnawi at the schools he built, and insisted only the very best of teachers - with proven understanding of Rumi's work - be allowed to teach there.
These schools were destroyed in 1890 and 1913 respectively and replaced with residences for those overseeing Dervish's vakuf. A vakuf is a public endowement left by Muslims that is used to fund public institutions, and those who roles to the power of Pasha, as Dervish-Pasha Bajezidagic did, often left very large endowements that are still being distributed today.
The library Dervish built still exists today near the mosque and is the second-largest library in the city of Mostar. In 1593, it already boasted 46 volumes of very rare Islamic writing, mostly Persian, and original manuscripts by Rumi. Today the library still boasts all these great treasures, except for several books which have been sent out to various institutions like the Karadoz-beg Library, also in Mostar, and Gazi Husref-Beg library in Sarajevo.
All of these things, including the Podhum Mosque itseld, were destroyed in 1993 during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina - but unless otherwise noted above they have been rebuilt.
Mostar first came under Islamic rule in 1468 at which time a carsija (urban marketplace) was constructed and the few existing villages in the area were centralized. Residential districts called mahalas grew and one of these was Podhum.
The Podhum mahala was the birthplace of Dervish, son of Bajezidaga - who was an important Bosnian ruler twice elected to office in 1592 and again in 1601. Bosnian names worked more simply in those days so Dervish son of Bajezidaga simply became Dervish Bajezidagic.
Dervish was a poet and, beginning in 1592, he constructed the Podhum Mosque which bears his name still today. He also built Islamic schools and a library beside it. The mosque was completed in 1597 and, in a demonstration of Dervish's high level of education and poetic heart, he used the Persian language in all documents related to the construction of the mosque.
The deed recognizing the mosque reveals that Dervish had several employees at the mosque, including an Imam who was paid the equivalent of $13 per day, as well as a muezzin to sing the call to prayer for $5 per day.
Dervish used money raised from worshippers to construct nine buildings in Mostar, as well as a mill on the River Buna which is still today a very important Sufi shrine. He also used the money to teach Jalaluddin Rumi's Mathnawi at the schools he built, and insisted only the very best of teachers - with proven understanding of Rumi's work - be allowed to teach there.
These schools were destroyed in 1890 and 1913 respectively and replaced with residences for those overseeing Dervish's vakuf. A vakuf is a public endowement left by Muslims that is used to fund public institutions, and those who roles to the power of Pasha, as Dervish-Pasha Bajezidagic did, often left very large endowements that are still being distributed today.
The library Dervish built still exists today near the mosque and is the second-largest library in the city of Mostar. In 1593, it already boasted 46 volumes of very rare Islamic writing, mostly Persian, and original manuscripts by Rumi. Today the library still boasts all these great treasures, except for several books which have been sent out to various institutions like the Karadoz-beg Library, also in Mostar, and Gazi Husref-Beg library in Sarajevo.
All of these things, including the Podhum Mosque itseld, were destroyed in 1993 during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina - but unless otherwise noted above they have been rebuilt.
The Podhum Mosque is typical of mosques in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina in that the stone they were built from is not covered by plaster or metal on the exterior. They also have the type of stone roof that is common for the area and are made from the lightest colored stone found in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As is typical of mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the building boasts many declarations and manuscripts related to its construction, including the following declarations:
As is typical of mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the building boasts many declarations and manuscripts related to its construction, including the following declarations:
"It was granted to Dervish-Pasha, known for his eloquence
To erect a house of worship for the faithful
At the close of the 1000th year, may Dervis-Pasha be granted the benefits
Of the prayers that will be uttered here every morning and night
An invisible, sacred voice expressed this message:
This place has become a Qibla of Muhammed's followers.
Year 1000 [1592/93]."
"Dervish-Pasha has erected this Masjid
He, the fortunate one, whose face shines with joy
In a multitude of houses of worship
No one has seen anything similar to this one.
This is a masjid of benevolence.
Year 1000."
"Dervis-Pasha has erected this masjid
By the Mercy of the Maker, the Living, and the Only One
When I asked the wisdom about this place
The answer was: The best mosque.
Year 1000."
To erect a house of worship for the faithful
At the close of the 1000th year, may Dervis-Pasha be granted the benefits
Of the prayers that will be uttered here every morning and night
An invisible, sacred voice expressed this message:
This place has become a Qibla of Muhammed's followers.
Year 1000 [1592/93]."
"Dervish-Pasha has erected this Masjid
He, the fortunate one, whose face shines with joy
In a multitude of houses of worship
No one has seen anything similar to this one.
This is a masjid of benevolence.
Year 1000."
"Dervis-Pasha has erected this masjid
By the Mercy of the Maker, the Living, and the Only One
When I asked the wisdom about this place
The answer was: The best mosque.
Year 1000."
The first declaration was written in Turkish be a poet, while the second two were written in Persian by Dervis-Pasha himself. Stones within the mosque are also engraved with Dervis-Pasha's name and the date the mosque was built. These stones are engraved with Arabic and Bosnian alphabets, but in both cases, the words written are in Bosnian.
This was common at the time, so in Bosnian mosques Arab tourists will often recognize their language's alphabet in many engravings and documents but may not always be able to read it - it's just our language with Arabic letters.
The Podhum Mosque has a large courtyard next to a medium-sized cemetery. There are more than 40 tombstones of noble Muslims in the cemetery, which is quite a lot for a single mosque to have (there aren't that many nobles at one time and they often chose to be burried at their own mosques they constructed, but more than 40 - quite amazing - chose to be burried at Dervish-Pasha's mosque).
Some of the engravings on the tombstones include:
This was common at the time, so in Bosnian mosques Arab tourists will often recognize their language's alphabet in many engravings and documents but may not always be able to read it - it's just our language with Arabic letters.
The Podhum Mosque has a large courtyard next to a medium-sized cemetery. There are more than 40 tombstones of noble Muslims in the cemetery, which is quite a lot for a single mosque to have (there aren't that many nobles at one time and they often chose to be burried at their own mosques they constructed, but more than 40 - quite amazing - chose to be burried at Dervish-Pasha's mosque).
Some of the engravings on the tombstones include:
"God who forgives and covers sins, deceased Gazi Ahmed-spahija Tokmanovic, son of Hasan-aga. Recit al'Fatiha for his soul. 1178."
"God who forgives sins, deceased Ahmed-effendi, son of Mula Osman, may Allah provide him with comfortable repose and make heaven his sanctuary. May God's mercy be upon him. 1244."
"God who forgives sins, the purpose of visiting a grave is to pray. What I am today, you will be tomorrow. Deceased Sheikh-dede Mula Ismail. Recite al'Fatiha for his soul. Rajab 1166."
"God who forgives sins, deceased Ahmed-effendi, son of Mula Osman, may Allah provide him with comfortable repose and make heaven his sanctuary. May God's mercy be upon him. 1244."
"God who forgives sins, the purpose of visiting a grave is to pray. What I am today, you will be tomorrow. Deceased Sheikh-dede Mula Ismail. Recite al'Fatiha for his soul. Rajab 1166."
