Bajrakli Gazi Mehmet Pasha Mosque

The Bajrakli Gazi Mehmet Pasha Mosque, built in 1561, is the oldest surviving Islamic monument in Prizren and one of the most important Ottoman buildings in Kosovo. It stands at the heart of the old bazaar quarter, and its modest exterior conceals an elegant interior decorated with calligraphy and geometric tilework.

The mosque remains in active use and is open to non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times. The hexagonal mausoleum in the forecourt, believed to contain the tomb of Mehmet Pasha himself, is a distinctive architectural feature rare in the western Balkans. The surrounding area — a network of cobbled lanes with Ottoman-era workshops and houses — is the most intact part of Prizren's historic centre.

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A story
This is the oldest Islamic monument in Prizren. Mehmet Pasha built both this mosque and the town's Turkish bath (hamam) in the 1560s as part of a deliberate Ottoman urbanisation of Prizren after its incorporation into the empire. The hexagonal domed tomb in the courtyard is thought to be Mehmet Pasha's own. The mosque is named "bajrakli" — meaning "flag mosque" — because its minaret was used to signal the start of Friday prayers for the whole city, since its elevated position made it visible across the old town.