Esma Sultanija Mosque
Description
The Esma Sultanija Mosque, built in the mid-18th century (1749), is one of the most valuable sacred buildings in Jajce and the only major mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina named after a woman. Located in the very heart of the čaršija, between the Travnik and Banja Luka gates, this domed beauty is recognizable by its 29-meter-high stone minaret and architectural harmony, which includes a fountain and a mekteb. Its construction is linked to one of the most beautiful Bosnian legends about the sultan’s daughter who, seeking a cure for a serious illness, sold her expensive jewelry to build the mosque and the bridges on the Pliva, believing she would recover by doing good deeds “where one prays and where one loves.” Although it was completely destroyed in 1993, its faithful reconstruction in 2008 restored to Jajce this symbol of nobility and spiritual continuity.
A woman's endowment
Esma Sultanija Mosque is the most significant Ottoman religious building in Jajce. It was built in the 18th century as a waqf by Esma Sultanija, the wife of the Bosnian governor Mehmed-pasha Muhsinović. According to legend, Esma was ill, and astrologers told her she would recover if she built three endowments at the place where two waters meet. Along with this mosque, she also built two bridges on the Vrbas.
The mosque is the only one in Bosnia and Herzegovina that bears a female name, which gives it special historical and cultural significance. The interior is decorated with contemporary wall painting which, since the original remains of the mosque were not found, is an attempt to partially reconstruct the original decoration from the Ottoman period.
Architecture and details
