Valide Mosque, Mytilene
| Valide Mosque | |
|---|---|
Βαλιδέ Τζαμί | |
The former mosque in 2015 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque (1615–1920s) |
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Vintsentzou Kornarou Street, Epano Skala, Mytilene, Lesbos, North Aegean |
| Country | Greece |
Location of the former mosque in Greece | |
Interactive map of Valide Mosque | |
| Coordinates | 39°06′43″N 26°33′15″E / 39.11194°N 26.55417°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Ottoman |
| Completed | 1615 |
| Specifications | |
| Minaret | 1 |
| Minaret height | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Materials | Stone; marble; stucco |
The Valide Mosque (Greek: Βαλιδέ Τζαμί, from Turkish: Valide Camii, lit. 'Mosque of the Valide Sultan'), known locally as the Valide Djami, is a former mosque in Mytilene, on the island of Lesbos, in the North Aegean region of Greece. Completed in 1615 during the Ottoman era, the mosque was abandoned in the 1920s, following the Balkan Wars and the Greco-Turkish population exchange, and is in a partial ruinous state.
Description
The mosque is located in the old Turkish quarter of the city, Epano Skala. According to its founder's inscription above its entrance, it was built in 1615, making it one of the oldest mosques in the island.[1][2] However, another source claims that the current structure was built in 1780 on the site of an older mosque and the current structure is an 1867 renovation.[3]
It was built of stone and is a single-storey structure, with a pitched roof. A stone-paved courtyard once existed with a marble polygonal water fountain, accessed through a marble staircase. On all four sides of this building there are symmetrical pairs of large windows protected by metal grids and oval skylights. The interior floor was covered by wood planks, while a five-way archway separating the esonarthex from the prayer hall.[3] The ceiling was in coloured frescos, which were later painted over in a dark pigment after the Muslim population left the island. The c. 6-metre-high (20 ft) mihrab featured stucco decoration.[1] The Ottoman-style minaret is constructed from red stone quarried in Ayvalık, and the original 15-metre (49 ft) minaret is almost entirely preserved apart from a portion of its domed top.[4] It has a hexagonal base and a cylindrical shaft.[3]
The building and its minaret were designated as protected monuments by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture in 1981.[4] In early 2018, €1.2 million were designated for restoration work of the building, under the supervision of the Lesbos Ephorate of Antiquities.[4] In 2020, following the reversion of the Hagia Sophia from a museum to mosque by the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, there were calls to halt the restoration of the Valide Mosque.[5] As of 2024, the former mosque remain closed, in partial ruins.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b Loupou, Athina-Christina. Βαλιδέ Τζαμί Μυτιλήνης (in Greek). Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (March 3, 2019). "Oldest Mosque on Greece's Lesvos to Be Restored". Greek Reporter. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c "The Valide Mosque at Mytilini" (images and text). Visit Lesvos. 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c Αναστήλωση του Βαλιδέ Τζαμί, του παλαιότερου οθωμανικού τεμένους στην Μυτιλήνη (in Greek). Kathimerini. March 20, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ Antonopoulos, Paul (July 15, 2000). "North Aegean Governor urges finance suspension of mosque restoration on Lesvos". Greek City Times. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ Maniou, Foteini (2024). "Cross-Border Entrepreneurship with a Focus on the Ottoman Monuments of Lesvos" (PDF). Sustainable Development, Culture, Traditions Journal. 1b (1). University of the Aegean, Greece. doi:10.26341/issn.2241-4002-2024-1b-4-T02043. Retrieved December 21, 2025.