History A Forgotten Ottoman Jewel

nybody drinking coffee in the , it is a mosque built on centre of Stip, the informal the foundation of the old Christian church capital of the eastern part devoted to St. Elijah. of Macedonia, or walking Stip was an important regional centre along the quay of the in the time of the Ottomans. After they smallA but powerful river Otinja, cannot took over the city in 1395 it became a but notice the beautiful although partly nahiye, a separate administrative unit derelict building overlooking the town as part of the Kyustendil (a from the nearby hill. The first gaze would larger administrative division). In the 15th not instantly tell one if it is a church or a century, after the Jews were expelled from mosque, or even a bedesten or hamam. Spain and Portugal, many families finding Actually, as it happened frequently in the refuge in the Ottoman Empire settled in

20 September 2015•www.dmwc.org.mk History

Stip. A document from 1519 reports 38 Jewish families or 200 people. In 1620 the town is also mentioned as an Episcopal seat, which leads to the conclusion that people from all dominant religions lived in the town and were adequately served by the right to freely exercise their faith. The census from the same period counted around 3000 inhabitants, with 200 Muslim and over 300 Christian families. The famous travel writer Evliya Celebi described Stip in 1661 as a kadiluk, which means an area with its own judge, “with guarded fortress on a hill, mosques, baths and caravan-sarays next to a small river.” The town population grew to over 20 000 people by 1899. According to some sources, the older church of St. Elijah was built in 1381 by the Ottoman vassal Konstantin Dejanovic and turned into It has an octagonal tambour supported a mosque only in the 17th century. But by pendentives and is covered with lead. according to art historians, the mosque A specific feature distinguishing it from can be dated back to the 16th century with other similar structures in Macedonia is the certainty. Property registers (defter-s in heptagonal part with a shallow vault that Turkish) from 1570 and 1573 list it among protrudes from the south façade where other assets as a donation of the late the mihrab niche is located. This apsidal Husameddin Pasa thus supporting the form of the mihrab that can be traced earlier attribution. A new Muslim quarter back to the 14th century is the result of formed around the new mosque. Celebi the intense mutual influences of the Early adored the artistic features of the mosque Ottoman and Late Byzantine architecture. noting some technical details, such as that The porch built on the northern side is of the stone minaret was covered with lead. harmonious proportions and simple form, In these historic sources, however, there a characteristic of the architecture of the is no record of the life and deeds of the early 16th century. It has three small domes donor of the mosque, Husameddin Pasa. among which the central dominates, and The mosque is a single domed edifice they are supported by four cylindrical with a square floor plan admired for its marble columns. The two central columns simple and well proportioned structure. are made of green marble and have capitels The dome is made of brick and lime mortar. decorated with stalactite ornaments, while

www.dmwc.org.mk • September 2015 21 History

the lateral ones are made of white marble, turbe has octagonal base and is covered and their capitels are decorated with the with tiles It was recently renovated but motif known as Turkish triangles. The the experts say this small building is not decorative features of the central arch remarkable from the aesthetic point of are further emphasized by the alternating view. rows of red and white stone blocks. This The only renovation of the mosque type of decoration is characteristic of the took place in 1950 when the interior was time of the construction and is repeated adapted to serving as a gallery space. above the main entrance on the north side However the gallery was short lived, and of the mosque and above the windows in 1956 the mosque was closed to the left and right of it. An octagonal minaret public. stands on the west side of the mosque. Today, prayers are held in Husameddin The mosque was built with large, Pasa Mosque twice a week, the main finely chiselled blocks of yellowish stone mosque of Stip being Kadin Ana. At the brought to the site from the vicinity of same time, there is also a demand from Zegligovo near Kumanovo. Its stylistic the numerous Roma Muslim population to and architectural features clearly indicate erect a new, third, mosque in the city in that it belongs to the late classical phase the neighbourhood Duzlak where many of of influenced by the them live. early Byzantine style of construction. As the local predominantly Christian As many other Ottoman religious sites, population of the city believes that the Husameddin Pasa Mosque is accompanied foundation of the Husameddin Pasa by other religious objects. Thus, south mosque belonged to the church of St of the mosque is the turbe (small Elijah, there is a tradition to visit the mausoleum) of the sheikh Muhyuddin mosque site on St. Elijah Day on 2 August. Rumi Baba mentioned by Evliya Celebi. The

22 September 2015•www.dmwc.org.mk