Altum-alem Mosque
History
The Altun-alem mosque in Novi Pazar is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It has been under state protection since 1979. This is the best-preserved mosque in the former Yugoslavia. It is well known that the mosque was built in the middle of the 16th century by Muslihedin Abdul Ghani, also known as the Muezzin Hodja Al Medina. The mosque became especially significant in the 19th century, when numerous crafts and trade shops developed in Novi Pazar.
Cultural site details
The Altun-Alem mosque is located in the old part of Novi Pazar. With its antiquity and simple architectural composition, it stands out from fifteen mosques in Novi Pazar. The prayer space is square in shape, vaulted with low, wide dome, so that the whole space is almost a regular cube. The walls of the main part are built of hewn stone and brick, which were repaired and plastered on the outside by the Institute for the Protection of Monuments to imitate "Byzantine" geometrically correct, alternating rows of thin bricks and stone. The mosque has therefore lost much of its originality. The porch is unusually high, with two massive pillars and a closed wall on the right in which is the door to enter the minaret. The minaret is not so high, but it fits harmoniously with the closed cube, and entrance open porch. This is perhaps the only case in our region that the minaret was built next to the porch and not the main part of the mosque. The pulpit, mihrab, portal frames and windows are built of quality selected stone. The mosque is covered with lead sheet metal. The prayer space is illuminated by light of sixteen window openings.
As a monument of Islamic sacral architecture, this mosque is under state protection. The two buildings in its vicinity are the maktab and the imam's residence. They were built in the Turkish-Balkan style. The maktab building was turned into a local museum, but in 1971 it was converted into a library of Islamic community.