Ferhat Pasha Mosque - Ferhadija

The Ferhat Pasha Mosque, known as Ferhadija, is one of the most significant and well-known Islamic holy sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ferhadija was built in the second half of the 16th century by order of Ferhat Pasha Sokolović, then the governor of the Bosnian Eyalet. According to legend, during the Battle of Sisak in 1575, Ferhat Pasha fought against the Habsburgs. He defeated the Austrian army, killed its commander, Herbert von Auersperg, and captured his son Engelbert. His mother managed to gather 30,000 ducats to ransom her son's freedom. Ferhat Pasha used this money to build Ferhadija in the city of Banja Luka.

The mosque was built in the classical Ottoman style, featuring a beautiful dome and a slender minaret, quickly becoming a symbol of Islamic art and fait...

The Ferhat Pasha Mosque, known as Ferhadija, is one of the most significant and well-known Islamic holy sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ferhadija was built in the second half of the 16th century by order of Ferhat Pasha Sokolović, then the governor of the Bosnian Eyalet. According to legend, during the Battle of Sisak in 1575, Ferhat Pasha fought against the Habsburgs. He defeated the Austrian army, killed its commander, Herbert von Auersperg, and captured his son Engelbert. His mother managed to gather 30,000 ducats to ransom her son's freedom. Ferhat Pasha used this money to build Ferhadija in the city of Banja Luka.

The mosque was built in the classical Ottoman style, featuring a beautiful dome and a slender minaret, quickly becoming a symbol of Islamic art and faith in this part of Bosnia. When it was constructed, the Ferhadija complex also included three türbes: those of Ferhat Pasha, his granddaughter Safikaduna, and his standard-bearer. It was surrounded by an iron and stone fence with a fountain in the corner, a šadrvan (ablution fountain), and an old cemetery in the garden. Later, the complex was expanded with a clock tower built near Ferhadija. The mosque’s spatial layout was different from the usual architectural type of mosques built in Bosnia and Herzegovina between the 16th and 18th centuries, resembling the so-called Istanbul style.

Over four centuries, the mosque was damaged and renovated several times, suffering significant damage during the 1969 earthquake. Unfortunately, in 1993, Ferhadija was destroyed during the war, and its remains were scattered. However, after a long and meticulous restoration process, the mosque was rebuilt according to the original plans and reopened to believers and visitors. The foundation preparations for the reconstruction of Ferhadija were completed by the end of 2007, and the restored Ferhat Pasha Mosque was officially reopened on May 7, 2016.

Another fascinating legend tells of three master builders who constructed the Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka. According to the wishes of Ferhat Pasha Sokolović, it had to be "grand and beautiful, unlike anything ever seen in this part of the world, nor ever will be again." When the structure was completed, the builders heard that Ferhat Pasha intended to execute them so they could never replicate such architectural beauty. Upon learning this, they crafted wings and jumped from the top of the mosque. All three fell in different parts of Banja Luka—Petar on today’s Petrićevac, Pavle on today’s Pavlovac, and the third, who broke his ribs, landed on the right bank of the Vrbas River, where the district was later named Rebrovac.