Through the old mosques and the Ottoman heritage in Sofia: the stroll within the Mosques’ Week 2017

One of the events this year that were held within the Mosques’ Week was the stroll through the old mosques and the Ottoman heritage in Sofia. It took place on 21^st of October, 2017 (Saturday).

Those who wished to join the thematic stroll in the capital with a tour guide Assoc. Prof. Ismail Dzhambazov, met at 10:00 o’clock on Saturday in front of the mosque “Banya Bashi”.

Among the people who showed interest in the history of the former mosques on the territory of present Sofia and in the remained Ottoman heritage, were the Chairman of the Supreme Muslim Council Vedat Ahmed and the Deputy Grand Mufti of Bulgaria Birali Myumyun.

Among the visited places within the stroll were “Banya Bashi”, “Gyul Mosque”, the mosque “Sokollu Mehmed Pasha”, “Siavush pasha mosque” – today’s “St. Sofia” church, “Kara mosque” (the Black mosque) – today’s church “Sveti Sedmochislenitsi” and “The Namazgyah” (known to the citizens of Sofia as the “Roman wall”).

Among the interesting facts which the participants in the stroll learnt was that the known for us Roman wall once was nanazgyah which indicated the qibla direction for the people from the more distant quarters of the capital.

Assoc. Prof. Dzhambazov also told that in 1897 the Council of Ministers decided the old mosque, called “The Black mosque” to be transformed into a church with a project of the Russian architect A. Pomerantsev.

An interesting fact from the historical legends about the “Siavush pasha mosque” is that during the earthquake in 1858, the most severe in the history of Sofia, the two minarets of the Muslim temple collapsed. Two children lost their lives under the ruins – children of the former imam. The Muslims considered that a curse from Allah and deserted the mosque.

Long time after that it mired in ruins, after which it was reconstructed into the church “St. Sofia”.

The severe earthquake from the autumn of 1858 caused a lot of serious damages to a huge part of the buildings of Sofia then. The minarets of 19 from the all 24 Muslims temples during that time in the city collapsed…

“Today we went back to the history of Sofia from the Ottoman times… Assoc. Prof. Ismail Dzhambazov took us to the era of the Ottoman times, where we had the opportunity to listen about the mosques, the madaris (schools), the caravanserai (a roadside inn), the Turkish konak (residence), the namazgyah and other historical sites from that time, from many of which today there is no a sign or are reconstructed. May Allah be pleased with the tour guide and the organizers of the historical stroll within this year’s Mosques’ Week” – commented one of the participants during the stroll through the old mosques and the Ottoman heritage of Sofia, which took place on 21^st of October, this year.

"Днес се върнахме в историята на София през Османско време... Доц. Исмаил Джамбазов ни отнесе в епохата на Османското време, където имахме възможност да чуем за джамиите, медресетата, кервансараите, турския конак, намазгяха и други исторически обекти от онова време, от много от които днес няма и следа или са преустроени. Аллах да е доволен от екскурзовода и организаторите на историческата разходка в рамките на тазгодишната Седмица на джамиите“. – коментира един от участниците по време на Разходка из старите джамии и османското наследство на София, състояла се на 21 октомври тази година.