BEHRAM-EFENDIJA’S MOSQUE, TOMB AND KUNJA IN BANJA LUKA

Author: Ekrem Tucaković, PhD, Riyasat of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Photo & video: Mirza Hasanefendić

The architectural ensemble of the Behram-bey (Behram-effendi) Mosque in Banja Luka was designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2003. The national monument consists of a mosque with the “kuija” (an underground room for prayers), a turbe (mausoleum), a maktab, a cemetery, a fountain, a gate and a stone wall which encloses the ensemble. As a cultural monument, this facility was put under the state protection pursuant to the decision of the Institute for Protection of Cultural-historical and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1962.

The Behram-bey (Behram-effendi) Mosque is situated at Desna Novoselija, on the right bank of the river Vrbas. It was probably built in the late 16th or the early 17th century. According to a folk legend, it was founded by Behram-effendi, who came from Đumiš in Anatolia and was thus given the last name Đumišić. According to the same legend, his brother was Osman-bey Đumišić, who commissioned a mosque on Pobrđe, at Donji Šeher in Banja Luka.

It is assumed that Behram-effendi was a member of a dervish order, since he commissioned a small underground room called “kuija” by the mosque, which served for seclusion while praying (worshipping).

The inscription on the minbar dates back to 1637. According to historical data, it was written by the founder himself, and it reads as follows: “I have been writing books every day in my entire life, and the time will come when they will be sold for a mere trifle”.

Behram-bey Mosque belongs to the type of mosques with sofas (raised spaces next to the mosque wall intended for praying) and the wooden minaret. One of its characteristics is that, besides the room for daily prayers and sofas on the northeast side, it has an added turbe, where its founder was buried, and that an underground room, which served for prayers, was built by the west corner of the mosque.

The mosque and the cemetery are enclosed by a stone wall, which includes the recently built maktab. Near the mosque, i.e. across the maktab, there is a fountain, the water for which was brought by pipes from Beg-bunar, a spring which has been supplying water to Novoselija and Gornji Šeher for centuries.

On the northwest side of the mosque there is a wooden porch, and on the north and west side – wooden sofas, which initially did not have a fence. The space for daily prayers is of almost square shape and measures 6.85 x 6,05 m. The whole interior of the mosque is extremely simple. The mihrab has only a niche, and the minbar is made of wood.

Interior of the mosque receives light from two rows of windows. Windows on the upper floor are protected with mušebaks (wooden lattices), while those on the ground floor have wooden demirs (rods) with wooden shutters form the inside.

According to the legend, the turbe was built by  people next to the mosque, to show their gratitude to Behram-effendi. It had a rectangular base and measured 5.30 x 3.25 meters on the inside. The turbe has four windows reinforced with mušebaks, and two niches in the interioe for leaving books. The roof of the turbe is connected with the roof of the mosque.

The small underground room“kuija” is entered down stone stairs. The space was designed according to human measures, and its dimensions are 3.10 x 1.60 m. On the southeast wall of the kuija there is the mihrab niche. Above the mihrab there is a window which provides light to the room. To the left and to the right there are two shelves where one could put candles, books or levhas (framed quotes from the Qur'an) . Both the kuija and the mosque are related to Behram-effendi, who is remembered by the folk as a very learned man. It is there where he spent time worshipping.

The deceased began to be buried in the mosque cemetery in the early 17th century, i.e. ever since the mosque was founded. A particular value is attached to bašluks (headstones) due to their making, since they had a turbe made of soft local stone. They were not over 150 cm high. There were also many concrete nišans (Islamic tombstones) in the cemetery, as well as tombstones of recent making, without artistic values.

All elements of the mosque had preserved their authenticity and had not changed until the moment of destroying the mosque. The mosque was put on fire by members of the Army of Republika Srpska on 26 May 1993. It was renewed thanks to efforts of the Islamic Community in BiH in 2005.

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