The Xhamia e Namazgjasë (Mosque of Prayer), the Great Mosque of Tirana, is the largest mosque in the Balkans. This grand structure was unveiled in Tirana, Albania, on October 10, 2024, following a decade-long construction period.

In the wake of the fall of communism in Albania in 1991, Muslim Albanians expressed grievances about discrimination, mainly because they lacked a central mosque and had to resort to praying in the streets, while two cathedrals (Eastern Orthodox and Catholic) were established.

The initiative to construct the mosque was set in motion in 1992 when then-president Sali Berisha laid the foundation stone near Namazgah Square, adjacent to the Albanian parliament. However, construction faced delays due to objections from the speaker of parliament, Pjetër Arbnori. The pivotal decision to proceed with the mosque’s construction was made in 2010 by the then-mayor of Tirana, Edi Rama.

The need for the mosque was underscored by the dwindling number of mosques in the city, which had decreased from 28 in 1967 to just eight. The existing principal mosque, the Et’hem Bey Mosque, built during the Ottoman era, could only accommodate 60 worshipers, leading to overcrowding during Islamic holidays.

The mosque’s construction commenced in 2015, with funding of 30 million euros ($34 million), a substantial portion of which came from the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey, Diyanet.

The mosque was officially opened on October 10, 2024, with speeches by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Anticipated to boost tourism, the Great Mosque of Tirana is poised to replace the Et’hem Bey Mosque as the primary mosque in the city center.

Architecturally, the mosque draws inspiration from Classical Ottoman design and boasts four minarets, each towering 50 meters high, and a central dome reaching 30 meters high.

The ground floor encompasses a cultural center and various other facilities.

The mosque, which spans a 10,000-square-meter plot adjacent to Albania’s parliament building, can accommodate up to 8,000 individuals. An additional 2,000 can pray outside, allowing for 10,000 worshipers.