ALTUN-ALEM MOSQUE IN NOVI PAZAR

Author: Prof. Hajrudin Balić, PhD, Faculty of Islamic Studies in Novi Pazar • Photo & video: Mirza Hasanefendić

From the transcript of the vakufnama (deed of endowment) of Mawlana Muslihuddin Abdulgani, which is still kept in the Archives of the Central Directorate of Waqfs in Ankara, we learn that he commissioned one of the mosques in Novi Pazar, and in many manuscripts it is claimed that it is matched only by some in Istanbul. It is famous by the name Altun-Alem, a mosque with a golden alem (gilded decoration on the top of the minaret) (Andrejević, Spomenici islamske kulture, 198).

 In the architectural terminology, an alem is the metal top of the minaret, in the shape of several apples, typically three, which are lined up along the vertical axis, each usually smaller than the lower one, and a crescent or a written ornament which crowns the apples. The material is brass or copper coated with tin.

Vakufnama of Mawlana Muslihuddin was written and legalized in Skopje, before mula-Abdullah, a son of Alija, in the month of Dhul Hijja of 956 Hijri year, which corresponds to the period from 10 to 20 January 1550 A.D. We will now list its parts which pertain to waqfs in Novi Pazar (Andrejević, Islamska monumentalna umetnost XVI veka u Jugoslaviji).

He also commissioned in God-guarded Novi Pazar – let Allah protect it from dangers – a mosque for the devout which does not need to be described. Next to it, he commissioned a house for teaching the Qur’an and for teaching small children. And he also allocated a house close to the noble mosque for the imam to live in.

And he provided 4 dirhems a day for the position of khatib and 6 dirhems a day for the position of imam in the noble mosque in God-guarded Novi Pazar.

And he also provided the condition that these positions be held by learned men who are familiar with Sharia law, who are devout, good, have laudable characteristics, nice behavior and who are prominently just.

He provided 4 dirhems for its muezzin, 2 dirhems for the Qur’an readers, 1 dirhem for each, 1 dirhem for muarrif, 2 dirhems for kajjim, and 1 dirhem for mats, wax and lanterns, all under the mentioned conditions.

And he provided 4 dirhems a day for Muallim, 1 dirhem for his deputy, under the condition that the Muallim should be reliable and the best among the good, persistent, and able to teach and lecture.

And he set the condition that every day one of the Qur’an readers in the mosque, who is familiar with Tajwid to read one juz from the Qur’an after the evening prayer, with tartil (slowly and with thinking) and in a perfect way, for which he will receive 1 dirhem a.

Turkish census of 1528 includes the neighborhood of Muezzin hadji in Novi Pazar. In the 17th century the neighborhood was renamed into Altun-Alem neighborhood. In 1528 this neighborhood had 35 households, in 1540 – 20 and in 1604 - 30.

Muslihuddin’s title ‘mawlana’ suggests that he was very well educated and learned. Andrejević writes that he served at the court of sultan Selim II as a scientist from 1566 to 1574, while Jiriček notes that he was the first muezzin of sultan Mehmed II (Jiriček, 307).

These two data are questionable, each in its own way, and looking from the time distance it is more likely that Andrejević’s data are correct, if we take into account the year of building Altun-Alem Mosque and writing the vakufnama of Muslihuddin Abdulgani in 1550.

Some sources, such as Kaleši, refer to the commissioner of Altun-Alem Mosque as “Muezzin hadji”, which leads to the conclusion that it is possible that he was a court muezzin (Kaleši, 224).

We say this because one of important courtiers at the court, in private chambers, in the service of sultans, viziers or pashas, was a court muezzin, who performed his tasks in the mosque where his master prayed Friday or Eid prayer (Šabanović, 21).

Besides, we learn that he was a merchant as well, since it is how some sources refer to him, Dükkâncık, merchant (Nedzipi, 19).

It is certain that he was very rich, due to the very fact that he managed to commission so many buildings, both those that we have listed in Novi Pazar, and some in Skopje: Kuršumli inn, a mosque, a hammam and several houses and shops, as well as a masjid and a caravanserai in the village of Mazići near Zvečani.

Besides, he also commissioned building of sukemeri-aqueduct in Skopje, one of only three such structures in former Yugoslavia, The Diocletian’s one near Split and the Aqueduct in Bar.

This aqueduct brought the clean mountain spring water to the city, and was also used for many public bathrooms, hammams, of the time. It was used until the 18th century, and was situated at the village of Vizbegovo, 2 km northwest away from Skopje.

The largest waqf in the region – Altun-Alem Mosque – is situated at the central part of the present Prvomajska Street, once known as Stambolska džada. The part of the city where it is located used to be known as Jeleč neighborhood, after the medieval town on the mountain of Rogozna, where this street led. 

CEMETERY IN THE COURTYARD OF ALTUN-ALEM MOSQUE

The courtyard of this mosque hosts a very old cemetery, very valuable in historical terms. The oldest tombs there date back to 1752, and the most recent to 1913. Inscriptions on the nišans (Muslim tombstones) reveal that the greatest city notables, mudarrises, pashas, and members of the oldest city families were buried there. In the courtyard, we find the tomb of vali (governor general) Ismail-pasha, and the following inscription in Turkish on the nišan:

Former, noble Bosnian vali, deceased Ismail-Pasha, ćehaja of the royal treasury,

Let the Maker’s mercy fall on him. Recite Al-Fatiha in the name of

year 1199 (1785A.D.).

References:

• Andrejević, Andrej (1969), Spomenici islamske kulture, Novi Pazar i okolina, Belgrade.

• Andrejević, Andrej (1972), Islamska monumentalna umetnost XVI veka u Jugoslaviji, translated by: Hasan Kaleši, Priština.

• Gazija-Pajt, Enisa, “Obrazovni sistemi i stepenovanje škola na području BiH za vrijeme Osmanske upraveˮ, Glasnik Rijaseta BiH, 3-4, Sarajevo, 2009.

• Glasse, Cyril (2006), Enciklopedija Islama, Libris, Sarajevo.

• Jireček, Konstantin (1952), Istorija Srba, Naučna knjiga, Beograd.

• Kaleši, Hasan (1972), Najstariji vakufski dokumenti u Jugoslaviji na arapskom jeziku, Priština.

• Kasumović, Ismet (1999), Školstvo i obrazovanje u Bosanskom ejaletu za vrijeme Osmanske uprave, Islamski kulturni centar, Mostar.

• Nedzipi, Lutfi (2006), XV-XVI. Yuzyillarda Makedonya’da kultur ve medeniyet, T.C. Marmara Universitesi, Istanbul.

• Šabanović, Hazim, “Islamske institucijeˮ, Bosanski divan, Hrestomatija izabranih tekstova, FIN, Sarajevo.