Et'hem Bey Mosque

The Et'hem Bey Mosque is an Ottoman religious building right on Skanderbeg Square in central Tirana. Construction began in 1789 under Molla Bey and was completed in 1823 by his son Haxhi Et'hem Bey. It is best known for its wall paintings in the porch and prayer hall - trees, waterfalls and bridges, unusually figurative motifs for Ottoman religious art. Under Hoxha's 1967 religion ban the mosque was closed but spared demolition because the regime classed it as a monument. On 18 January 1991, 10,000 worshippers reopened it without state permission - an event regarded as a symbol of the end of the atheist state. Today it is a stop for visitors on Skanderbeg Square; outside prayer times the interior is accessible.