Emperor's mosque is one of the first mosques built in BiH
and the first one built in Sarajevo. It was constructed in
1462 year, financed and enabled by founder of Sarajevo
Isa Bey Ishakovic. This mosque was burnt in 1480,
whendespot
Vuk Grgurevic broke in with army from Jajce and burnt
Sarajevo. On the same place, the mosque was constructed
again (some people say that it was constructed again from
its foundation and some believe that only dome of the
mosque was burnt and constructed again) in 1566, but
this time it was financed by Sulejman the Magnificent.
During that period, chief architect of the Empire was
Mi‘mar Sinan and it is believed that construction of this
mosque was realized by one of his students or collaborators.
This is central type of mosque with three-side porch. The
porches were left on three sides because great number of
people is coming to mosque during a prayer. Two side-porches
were walled in and transformed into side-premises. Central
dome has a form of semicircle in section, typically for the
period of Ottoman architecture.
During art-conservation works by the end of past century (1980 or 1990), partially restored four layers of wall decoration from 16th, 18th and beginning of 19th centuries were revealed. Octagonal minaret represents one of the most beautiful minarets in BiH. Precious tombstones, founded in the period between 15th and 19th centuries, are settled in cemetery behind the mosque. Pair of archaic tombstones behind mihrab are probably a grave of Isa-bey Ishakovic. In 1912 year, Karl Parzik projected building of Majlis, respecting module and using elements of construction of Bosnian houses, and successfully incorporated in the ensemble with the Emperor's mosque.
