VAROŠKA MOSQUE IN TRAVNIK

Author: Assist. prof. Haris Dervišević, PhD, Faculty of Philosophy of University of Sarajevo • Photo: Mirza Hasanefendić

Close to ramparts of the old Travnik fortress one can see the Varoška Mosque, a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Archeological research conducted at this site in the summer of 2017 revealed that this space was inhabited in the late Paleolithic, Neolithic, Ancient Times and the Middle Ages. Most findings date back to the 16th to 18th century, i.e. to the Ottoman period. Unfortunately, the mezaristan (cemetery) which surrounded the mosque has been buried over time; however, thanks to archeological excavations its former borders have been established and the old nišans (Muslim tombstones) have been found.

In the early 16th century, an older mosque was built at the site of the present one. It is assumed that it was commissioned by a Hadži Hasan-aga. Not many data on the mosque have been preserved, and we can therefore learn about it only from stories by Travnik inhabitants and based on old photographs. It is known that it had a square basis, a wooden minaret and a four-sloped roof covered with shingles. The fire which broke out in Travnik in 1903 did not pass it, and it was considerably damaged on this occasion.

A few years after the misfortunate event, Travnik resident Ziba-hanuma Kopčić allocated 12,000 krunas for the construction of a new mosque, which was designed by architect Miloš Milošević. Interestingly, historical sources are fairly scarce and we do not know much either about Ziba-hanuma or about architect Milošević. It is not unusual that a woman commissions a mosque, though it is not common, same as it is not common for a non-Muslim to be the architect of a mosque. It seems that the unusual link between Ziba-hanuma and Miloš was reflected on the choice of style, since the Varoška Mosque differs from other mosques in Tranvik by its visual features. Art historians do not agree about the name of the style: some call id pseudo-Moorish, others Neo-Moorish, while recently the name 'Orientalizing style' has become increasingly common. One of the features of the style, which emerged under auspices of European historicism, is eclecticism -which is obvious on the Varoška Mosque in Travnik. Abandonment of the Ottoman architectural tradition, which used to prevail in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is primarily reflected on the front of the Varoška Mosque, where red stripes on the facade are a direct reminiscence of the architecture of Mameluke Egypt. The pointed arch above the window, the crenelation over the portal and astral motifs on side facades of the mosque also support the thesis that the architect mostly searched inspiration in the Mameluke heritage. Besides, it seems that the most unusual architectural element is the bulbous dome which originates from Indian Mogul architecture. Still, the architect took over the form of minaret from local heritage, and thus indirectly paid homage to Bosnian architecture.