Ali Pasha Mosque
Religious affiliationIslam
MunicipalityOhrid
CountryNorth Macedonia
Minaret quantity1
Minaret height32 m

The Ali Pasha Mosque[a] is the main mosque in the city of Ohrid, North Macedonia. It is the seat of a muftiate.[1]

The mosque was built in the city's Old Bazaar in 1573. It was renovated by the vizier Ali Pasha of Yanina and posthumously given his name in 1823.[2] Evliya Çelebi, a 17th-century Ottoman explorer, mentioned the mosque having two minarets, though the second was never captured in a photograph; the other was demolished at some point in the 1910s and survived as a 6.5-metre stub.[1]

On 1 April 2015, an agreement was signed between the Turkish government and North Macedonia's Islamic Union for renovation of the mosque.[2] There was some local opposition to plans to extend the minaret to 32 metres, arguing that a lack of planning debate could harm communal relations in the majority Christian city.[3] The project was completed in November 2019.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ * Macedonian: Али-Пашина Џамија Ali-Pašina Džamija * Albanian: Xhamia e Ali Pashës * Turkish: Ali Paşa Camii

References

  1. ^ "The restoration of the Mosque of Ali Pasha in Ohrid causes friction". Koha. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  2. ^ "Turkey completes restoration of Ohrid's Ali Pasha Mosque". Daily Sabah. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  3. ^ Jakov Marusic, Sinisa (28 November 2017). "Tempers Rise in Macedonian Resort Over Tall Minaret". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 17 August 2025.