Albania: “Tupkhane” Mosque Regains Presence After 421 Years Since Its Endowment<\/p>\n
The Mufti Office in Shkod\u00ebr, in collaboration with “Qatar Charity,” inaugurated the new “Tupkhane” Mosque in the city of Shkod\u00ebr in northwestern Albania. This step revived an Islamic endowment dating back more than four centuries, recalling a long-standing religious presence that was interrupted during the communist regime.<\/p>\n
The opening ceremony, held on Friday, August 14, 2026, witnessed the attendance of the President of the Islamic Community in Albania and the country’s Mufti, Sheikh Bujar Spahiu, along with the Mufti of Shkod\u00ebr Province, Sheikh Muhamed Sytari, and Director of “Qatar Charity,” Kerim Ali, as well as several scholars, imams, representatives of Islamic and civil institutions, and a large number of worshippers and local residents.<\/p>\n
The ceremony included the ribbon-cutting, unveiling the commemorative plaque, reciting verses from the Holy Qur\u2019an, and hosting the first Friday prayer, led by the Mufti of Albania, Sheikh Bujar Spahiu.<\/p>\n
According to the Mufti of Shkod\u00ebr, Sheikh Muhamed Sytari, the history of the first mosque established in this endowment dates back to 1027 AH, when philanthropist Mustafa Efendi, a resident of the Tupkhane neighborhood, built a mosque in the heart of the area during Ramadan. Over the centuries, it became a prominent religious landmark, closely linked to the neighborhood’s history and Islamic identity.<\/p>\n
A succession of scholars and imams served the mosque, playing a significant religious and social role in promoting Islamic culture and awareness, and preserving the religious identity of the local community.<\/p>\n
Like many religious institutions in Albania, the mosque faced harsh conditions during the communist regime, especially between 1967 and 1990, when religious practices were banned and places of worship across the country were closed.<\/p>\n
After the collapse of the communist regime, efforts to restore religious life in the area commenced. The call to prayer returned to the Tupkhane neighborhood on July 10, 1997, following nearly three decades of absence, through collaboration between the Islamic Community in Albania, the Mufti Office in Shkod\u00ebr, and supportive Islamic organizations.<\/p>\n
The construction of the mosque in its new form was a result of collaboration between the Mufti Office in Shkod\u00ebr and “Qatar Charity,” supported by Qatari philanthropists. Project coordinators affirmed that its inauguration symbolizes the continuation of the historical endowment\u2019s mission and the revitalization of its religious and social role.<\/p>\n
The opening of the mosque, 421 years after its original endowment, stands as a symbolic milestone in the history of Muslims in Shkod\u00ebr. It bridges a long-standing Islamic heritage across generations, an experience of resilience against years of communist prohibition, the revival of the call to prayer and worship, culminating in the establishment of a new mosque that continues to serve the Muslim community and preserve their religious and cultural identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Albania: “Tupkhane” Mosque Regains Presence After 421 Years Since Its Endowment The Mufti Office in Shkod\u00ebr, in collaboration with “Qatar Charity,” inaugurated the new “Tupkhane” Mosque in the city of Shkod\u00ebr in northwestern Albania. This step revived an Islamic endowment dating back more than four centuries, recalling a long-standing religious presence that was interrupted during …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[12278],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albania"],"yoast_head":"\n