Et’hem Bey Mosque

About Et’hem Bey Mosque

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

The Et’hem Bey Mosque, begun at the end of the 18th century by Mulla Bey and finished by his son Haxhi Et’hem Bey in the early 19th, is famous for frescoes of trees, waterfalls and bridges, rare in Islamic art. Spared during the communist ban on religion, it became a symbol of freedom on 18 January 1991, when 10,000 people entered it without permission. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times; remove your shoes and dress modestly.

A merchant’s mosque

The Et’hem Bey Mosque was begun at the end of the 18th century by Mulla Bey and completed in the early 19th by his son, Haxhi Et’hem Bey, who also built the Clock Tower beside it in 1822. Small and elegant, with a portico and a single minaret, it is one of the last survivors of the Ottoman town that stood here before the 20th-century planners.

Painted walls

What makes it special is its decoration. The walls of the portico and the prayer hall are covered with frescoes of trees, waterfalls, bridges and even townscapes, rare in Islamic art, which usually avoids figurative scenes. Take your time under the portico to look at them closely.

On 18 January 1991, ten thousand people walked in, carrying flags, without asking permission. The police did not stop them.

A symbol of freedom

Under communism, Albania was declared an atheist state in 1967 and almost all mosques and churches were closed, destroyed or turned into warehouses and gyms. The Et’hem Bey Mosque was spared as a cultural monument. On 18 January 1991, without permission from the authorities, around ten thousand people entered it for prayer, and the police did not interfere: a turning point in the return of religious freedom.

Our advice: visit outside prayer times, take off your shoes and dress modestly, then climb the Clock Tower next door for a view of the square.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Et’hem Bey Mosque before you go.