Murat Reis Mosque

The Murat Reis Mosque (Greek: Μουράτ Ρέις Τζαμί, from Turkish: Murat Reis Camii) is a historical Ottoman-era mosque in the Aegean island of Rhodes, in Greece. Named in honour of Murat Reis the Elder, an important Ottoman admiral who served the Ottoman Navy, the mosque still stands, it is in need of restoration and is not open for worship, similar to the majority of Ottoman mosques found in Rhodes.

Murat Reis Rhodes
Murat Reis Mosque in Rhodes
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
DistrictRhodes
ProvinceSouth Aegean
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusClosed
Location
LocationRhodes, Greece
Murat Reis Mosque is located in Greece
Murat Reis Mosque
Shown within Greece
Geographic coordinates36°27′08″N 28°13′27″E
Architecture
TypeMosque
FounderMurat Reis
Completed1622-1623
Specifications
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)1
MaterialsStone, brick

History

It was erected around 1623 by Ebubekir Pasha on the site of a previous church dedicated to Saint Anthony[1] in honor of Murat Reis, a very important Ottoman admiral of the time of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He himself was buried in the graveyard following his death, and his tomb became an object of worship and reverance for the Muslim population of the island as well as the people living across the sea on the Anatolian coast; they would visit the tomb on pilgrimage, carrying lamps and offerings. It was customary to slay animals near the tomb and distribute the meat to the poor.[2]

The building underwent restoration in 1797-1798 by Mourabıt Hassan Bey, who was also eventually buried there.[2][3] This is evident from the inscription over the door, which states its benefactor and the year it was renovated from almost total ruin.[4]

The mosque's original minaret was destroyed in May 1912 after a bombing during World War I; it was later rebuilt by the Italians in the shape seen today, and further restored in 1993.[2]

Achitecture

The mosque is ocated at the bend of the main road that leads from the harbor to the beach.[5]

The praying hall of the Murat Reis Mosque has a square flood plan, and is adorned with a dome, while the gallery and the tip of the minaret are plastered.[3] In front on the northwestern side a portico stands which is composed of three arches that support the wooden ceiling, in accordance with the first type of Bursa that many Turkish mosques were designed.[6] The mosque is rather in urgent need of restoration.[3]

The wooden minbar is placed o the right of the mihrab, itself a semicircular recess surrounded by two stone columns remarkably devoid of any written text, although it is possible that such text existed once and was later subjected to vandalism.[7]

In the yard, an Ottoman cemetery surrounds the building, in which the tombs of Murat Rais and other significant dignitaries can still be seen today.[3] Three officers of Suleiman, who seem to have died during the conquest of the island in 1522, are also buried there, indicating that the area was used as a graveyard a full century before the Murat Reis Mosque was erected.[5]

  • Murat Reis Mosque
  • View from the street.
    View from the street.
  • View from the cemetery.
    View from the cemetery.
  • The minaret.
    The minaret.
  • Plaque bearing Ottoman inscription.
    Plaque bearing Ottoman inscription.
  • The Ottoman graveyard.
    The Ottoman graveyard.
  • View from the west.
    View from the west.

See also

References
  1. Economides 2008, pp. 378, 494.
  2. Vrouchos, George (23 November 2006). "Το νεκροταφείο και το Τζαμί Μουράτ Ρεϊς" [The Murat Reis Mosque and graveyard]. rodiaki.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  3. Konuk 2008, pp. 52–53.
  4. Panagiotidi, Kalopisi & Mamaloukos 2010, p. 53.
  5. Panagiotidi, Kalopisi & Mamaloukos 2010, p. 51.
  6. Panagiotidi, Kalopisi & Mamaloukos 2010, p. 55.
  7. Panagiotidi, Kalopisi & Mamaloukos 2010, pp. 59–60.

Bibliography
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