WOMEN'S MOSQUES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The early 21st century was marked by opening of women's mosques in many European and US cities. This step opened the discussion of the conditions of praying space for women inside mosques, and it also contributed to new knowledge of restricting access to mosques to women in many countries with Muslim population.

While in many regions women's mosques are experienced as a novelty, as a result of contemporary Islamic revival or Islamic feminist movement, in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina mosques were often related to women, whether these were mosques which were popularly called women's or girl mosques, or mosques named after women who funded their building.

 Mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina which are known as women's mosques among people generally have quite different official names. The names of these mosques are related to women because in a given period of history it was in these mosques where women performed most of their education and religious activities. In most of these mosques the tradition of organizing women's education and religious activities has continued up to this day; by the manner of the participation of women in them, these mosques are unique in the world and differ from the newly opened ones in the West and from the most existing so-called mosque premises for women in countries with Muslim population in the East.

One of such mosques is the Hamza-bey Mosque in Tešanj, which is popularly called the Women's Mosque. It was built between 1540 and 1945. According to citizens of Tešanj, it was named the Women's Mosque at the time when Tešanj was a mercantile town which was visited by merchants, Muslim and non-Muslim. Since Muslims did not like strangers (people they did not know) to loo at their wives with uncovered faces while praying in the mosque, the decision was made to allocate the Hamza-bey Mosque in the core of Tešanj only for women's prayers. Women did not go to other mosques to avoid being seen by strangers, and strangers and other men, except for imam, were forbidden to pray in this mosque. Today, both men and women perform daily prayers here, and every year, on the occasion of 12 Rabi al-Awwal, the traditional mawlid for women is organized. The mawlid is headed by imams of the town of Tešanj and pupils of maktab.

Besides, the Dizdar Mosque in Jajce is another mosque which is popularly called the Women's Mosque. It was commissioned by the dizdar, i.e. commander of the town of Jajce Sulejman-bey Kulenović in 1812/13. As Mehmed Mujezinović writes, the mosque was named the Women's Mosque because it was visited exclusively by women in a certain period. Something similar is claimed by Ramiz Bećirović, who writes that the mosque was given this name since in a certain period the mosque remained without a permanent jamaat, and that it was for this reason that, during the Ramadan and on other occasions, only women from the neighborhood prayed in it. However, there is a different folk story about the name of the mosque. According to this version, Sulejman-bey Kulenović commissioned the mosque for the souls of his seven daughters, who died while he was on the hajj, and that it is because of this fact that it is called the Women's Mosque. Today, this mosque traditionally hosts mukabela for women during the Ramadan, which maintains the continuity of women's religious activity.

Visoko also has a unique Saračica, i.e. the Hadži Hasan Mosque, which is also known as the Women's Mosque. The mosque was built in the 17th century, and was damaged during the latest aggression on BiH in 1992–1995. According to an informant from Visoko, the name Women's Mosque, judging by folk stories, was coined after a tomb which is found in the courtyard of the mosque and which, according to some stories, belongs to an unknown girl. Another opinion is that the mosque was given this name because of women's activities which have been performed in the mosque since the distant past. Indeed, every day during the month of Ramadan, after the noon prayer, the central mukabela for women takes place in this mosque, while lectures for women are given on Saturdays and Sundays before the mukabela. As the jamaat imam of a nearby mosque told us, the mukabela is prayed exclusively by women, and since it is a mosque where only night prayers are performed, the noon prayer before the mukabela if performed only by women in the jamaat which is headed by a female imam. Traditionally, all women's activities during the Ramadan, including mukabela, mawlid, lectures and iftars take place in this very mosque.

Recently opened Krehić Mosque in the neighborhood of Prilaz in Ljubuški is also called the Women's Mosque. In the past, the mosque had neither the minaret nor the minber, and therefore the Friday prayer was not organized in it; rather it served as a neighborhood masjid. The mosque was built in 1864, and it was endowed by hadži Sejjid Mehmed Emin-ef. Krehić, who was well-known as an alim in Ljubuški at the time. Oral stories say that the benefactor began to build the mosque and then went to hajj, whereupon he fell ill and died without finishing the building. The mosque was completed by his wife Duda, and it is because of this act of hers that people named it the Women's Mosque. The mosque was razed in 1938 and today it is only partially renewed.

In Prozor there is the Hadži Nesuh Mosque, which is among people better known as the Mahalska, Fethijja or Women's Mosque. The mosque was built in 1604 and was active until the Second World War, when it was destroyed by Italians. During Eid al-Adha in 2008, the mosque was again made suitable for performing daily prayers, after six decades. Today, it is the only domed mosque in the Majlis of Prozor. It is not known why it has been named the Women's Mosque; however, it is known that today both men and women perform daily prayers in it.

As can be concluded from the above described, women's mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina typically have other official names, though they are known as women's mosques among people. They have been so named for two reasons. The first and the most frequent reason is because in a certain period these mosques were mostly visited by women, where they performed their common religious activities, while the second reason is because, according to folk stories, building of the mosque was funded by women.

References:

• Personal archives. Conversations with members of jamaats and imams of the described mosques.

• Mujezinović, Mehmed (1998), Islamska epigrafika u Bosni i Hercegovini, part two, Sarajevo publishing, Sarajevo, 271-272.

• Hasandedić, Hivzija, “Hercegovački vakufi i vakifiˮ, Anali GHB, volume IX-X, 69.

• Hodžić, Dževad (ur.), Islamska zajednica u Bosni i Hercegovini: monografija, Udruženje Ilmijje, Sarajevo, 2013.

• Mehmedović, Ahmed (2017), Upravljanje vakufima u Bosni i Hercegovini 1847-2017, Vakufska direkcija, Sarajevo.

• Bećirović, Ramiz (2020), Ljudi zajednice: Zapisi o ljudima i džematima Medžlisa IZ Jajce, MIZ Jajce, Jajce.

References:

• A. Agić, “Obnovljena Gornjomahalska džamijaˮ, Preporod, no. 14-15, 15. July 2004, p. 24.

• Mehmedović, Ahmed (2017), Upravljanje vakufima u Bosni i Hercegovini 1847-2017. Vakufska direkcija, Sarajevo.

• Nametak, Alija, “Islamski kulturni spomenici u Hercegovini i Crnoj Gori: putopisne bilješkeˮ, Narodna Uzadnica, 1940, pp. 112-130.

• Hodžić, Dževad (ur.), Islamska zajednica u Bosni i Hercegovini: monografija. Udruženje Ilmijje, Sarajevo, 2013.

• Hasandedić, Hivzija, “Hercegovački vakufi i vakifiˮ, Anali GHB, volume IX-X, 69.

• Mujezinović, Mehmed (1998), Islamska epigrafika u Bosni i Hercegovini, part two, Sarajevo publishing, Sarajevo, 271-272.

• Hadžimehanović, Refik, “Kratak pregled Konjicaˮ, Islamski glas, 6 December 1935, no. 10, p. 4.

• Smajlović, Salih, “Kako teku ramazanski dani u Fojnici: ramazan nadvladao novu godinuˮ, Preporod, no. 2/628, 15 January 1998, p. 13.

• Buljugić, Suad and Buljugić, Nihad (2010), Tuzla- sjećanje na bisere stare gradske jezgre. Geografsko društvo TK.

• Maglajlić, Munib, “Žepče u usmenoj predaji Bošnjaka u prošlom stoljećuˮ, Muallim, no. 29-30, 1995, pp. 18-19.

• Personal archives. Conversations with members of jamaats and imams of the described mosques.