The Djami of Yakovali Hassan Pasha and the Minaret - Pecs, Hungary

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Pécs remained under Turkish rule from 1543 until 1686, leaving a lasting architectural legacy on the city's image today. One prominent monument that still stands tall is the magnificent mosque and minaret of Yakovali Hassan Pasha. Built by Yakovali Hassan Pasha in the late 16th century, as detailed in the writings of renowned Turkish historian Evliya Çelebi, this striking mosque features a unique dodecagonal tower roughly 30 meters high situated adjacent to it. Originally, the northwest portion of the mosque boasted an elaborate four-column atrium, which was dismantled in the 18th century. The minaret managed to avoid demolition by serving as a bell-tower at that time. The ornate minaret is constructed from intricately carved stones and boasts a foundation over 6 meters tall with a finely crafted shelf at its peak. Beneath the shelf lies a series of beautifully designed blind arcades, above which the cone-shaped portion of the tower rises, featuring delicate hollows. The slender tower reaches approximately 14.5 meters high and contains 87 stairs leading up to a circular balcony. A balustrade surrounds this iron-fenced balcony at a height of 22.5 meters, initially adorned with a stone fence that glistened under the glow of oil lamps during holidays honoring Islam's faith leaders. Following extensive renovation in the early 18th century, the mosque was repurposed as a chapel and rededicated to St. John of Nepomuk by Pécs' bishop at the time. By the 1960s, restoration work had commenced on the Djami; by 1975, it returned to its original shape from nearly four centuries earlier. As a result of these reconstruction efforts, the stunning ornamentation surrounding the mihrab, also known as the ornamental prayer niche, was returned to its proper place. This exquisite example showcases the direction that faithful devotees face during prayer, standing adjacent to the intricately crafted pulpit referred to as the mimbar – itself an extension of original stonework. Today's visitor can marvel at intricate, expertly painted murals on the mosque's interior walls as well as quote engravings written in Arabic text from the Quran, these priceless artifacts a result of government-sponsored contributions to Turkish history.