The Dzhumaya Mosque stands in the central square of Plovdiv, its pencil-thin minaret a counterpoint to the Roman stadium ruins visible nearby. It is one of the oldest Ottoman mosques in Europe still in active use — built in the 14th century and preserved through the Bulgarian national period that followed Ottoman rule, partly because of its architectural merit, partly because of Plovdiv's pragmatic urban history.
The interior features an original painted ceiling and ornate tilework. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times; modest dress is required and shoes must be removed at the entrance. The mosque's position — flanked by a busy pedestrian street, Roman ruins visible underfoot, and a Bulgarian National Revival church a few hundred metres away — encapsulates the layered history of Plovdiv better than any single building.