Banya Bashi Mosque

The Banya Bashi Mosque is located in the center of Sofia, right in front of the Sofia Central Market. The temple was built in the late 16th century during the period of Ottoman rule, making it one of the oldest mosques in Europe. The building was erected over thermal baths and, in fact, even today the water vapour leaks out through some of the vents in the walls of the building. The temple is famous for its large dome (15 meters in diameter) and for its minaret that can be seen from some nearby streets. At present, the Banya Bashi Mosque is the only mosque still open for Islamic worship in Sofia, due not only to the coercion of some radical groups that have pushed to close the mosque to worship (and prohibit the opening of new ones) but also to the protests of neighbours annoyed by the noise of the loudspeakers at the time of the call to prayer. The mosque serves an Islamic community of about 10,000 worshippers in Sofia and holds about 700 people. It is open to the general public (remember to remove your shoes) except during prayer times on Fridays at 13:30 and 15:30.