Banya Bashi Mosque

The only Ottoman-era mosque still functioning in Sofia, built in 1576 over a thermal spring (the name means "many baths"). A square brick prayer hall under a single dome, with a tall minaret beside it. The Friday prayer fills the building.

It sits at the heart of a remarkable urban tableau: an Orthodox cathedral, a synagogue, a Catholic cathedral, and the mosque all stand within 300 metres of each other. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times; remove your shoes and dress modestly.

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A story
Banya Bashi was built in 1576 by Mimar Sinan, the great Ottoman architect of the Süleymaniye in Istanbul. Sofia was an important Ottoman city — there were 70 mosques here when Bulgaria became independent in 1878. Banya Bashi is the only one still in use.

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