One of the oldest mosques in Bosnia, the early 16th century Behram-effendi Mosque, has survived centuries of occupations, a devastating earthquake and the destruction of religious objects during Bosnia’s 1992-95 war.
The tiny structure, placed in the Banja Luka suburb of Novoselija is a protected national monument and has its own story.
Behram-effendi, a priest who allegedly arrived in Bosnia from far-away Anatolia, built the mosque in 1506 as a stone structure with a basement, a room for religious school – a ‘maktab’, a harem, a public fountain, a gate and stone walls.
“Behram-effendi was the imam of this jammat (prayer community) and he built this mosque before anything else was built. A lot of data says this is the oldest mosque in this area, even older than the Ferhadija Mosque which is known as one of the oldest,” the imam of the jammat of Novoselija, Muhidin Mustafic, told the Anadolu Agency.
“Behram-effendi was a writer, translator, so he also created within this mosque a melting pot of cultures, knowledge, books which he translated himself and which he gathered from other scholars and writers. All of those who lived in this area could read those books, and this mosque was not only a refuge for Muslims, but for all who lived there and wanted to learn,” Mustafic explained.
“The mosque has completely kept its basic appearance, some 50 to 70 per cent of the original stone walls remain and were built upon during a renovation in 2006, when it was opened again after burning down in 1993,” he said.
The beam is also the original one, as it remained strong despite the burning and “as a reminder that we must never allow something similar to happen again.”
The headstone of Behram-effendi also remains until this day. Although it 16th-century when the mosque was set ablaze, the base where he is buried remains intact.
