Mosque in Durrës, Albania
The Grand Mosque of Durrës (Albanian: "Xhamia e Madhe") or New Mosque ("Xhamia e Re") is a historic Albanian Mosque in the port-town of Durrës, Albania.
It was built in 1931 under the Kingdomship of King Ahmed Zogu on the site of an older mosque from Ottoman times. By the day of its opening, it was the largest mosque in Albania. The architects were Italian as the result of an Italian-Albanian cooperation. The goal of the architecture of the building was to have influence from Islamic tradition while also incorporating Durrës-style columns. When the mosque was completed, there was a celebration which included many foreign delegations. The mosque was closed in 1967 under the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha and its minaret was torn down. Most other historic mosques of the Ottoman era were destroyed. From now on, the Main mosque was used as a so-called Youth Centre. It was damaged again in 1979 by an earthquake.
With the help of the International Islamic Relief Organization of the Muslim World League, the mosque was reopened again in 1993.
The Mosque is also called Grand Mosque in order to distinguish it from the Little Mosque - the Ottoman-era Fatih Mosque.
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