The Mosque of Hajji Halil Skura in Ulcinj.2

In the area of Ulcinj have lived and worked many known and unknown artists since ancient times, enriching them with deeds and leaving future generation wonderful works of the rich cultural heritage. Today, the remains of this culture can be seen among the ancient walls of the Old Town of Ulcinj, but also in other places outside the walls. Written history, since Pliny the Elder, tells about the turbulent history of this city, which is more than 2500 years old. Archeological remains of “Illyrian walls” and of other buildings,which neither time nor passed centuries could not destroy, leave a particular impression. Monuments that were preserved until today date from the Ottoman Empire, which was the longest lasting in the region.
Turks, who brought Islam, brought also a different style of architecture. There were many mosques, baths, city fountains constructed, and many city walls identified, which have lasted until today. Many buildings were renovated and redecorated also, a process that, for sure, contributed to the development of oriental architecture unique to this part of Europe. Most of these facilities are located among the ancient walls of the Old Town, silent monuments of turbulent past history of the town, which has often changed its masters, but as a “phoenix” rose again and survived. There are also monuments outside the walls of the Old Town, although the time and human neglect have done that many disappear. Particularly painful is the loss of the old commercial market, and many fountains that were decorations of the city. Removal and disappearance of mosques is a special story. They were torn out in a planned and systematic way. Communist regime and people who were personification of that regime, and who didn’t neither like this city nor had known the history and culture, had given valuable “contribution” for its removal and disappearance. There were demolished and removed three magnificent mosques, such as that of “Meterizi”, “Meraja” and “Sailors’ Mosque”.
Among the most famous monuments, which have experienced such a tragic fate, should be allocated a mosque, an ancient place of worship, which is located within the Old Town walls. It was a gathering place for believers of Islamic religion more than 300 years. During holiday times, in company of our parents we had visited this place feeling awe of its monumentality. We had even less played in its proximity, even though we were force to play close to it, in “Slaves’ Square” because of the lack of space. This is the mosques of Hadji Halil Skura, where many residents of this city have worshiped (prayed) and studied the Qur’an. There could be highly heard a call of muezzin from the tower (minaret) of the mosque, until the fateful moment when it was tuned into a warehouse, and a few years later, in 1975, into a part of the museum complex just for the desire of the communist regime. As the old Town is not a museum on itself. It was very difficult to accept such a decision, especially when about it had decided people who were born among these ancient walls. But, it is left as a matter of time court and conscience.
Winning Ulcinj in 1571, Turks who came in these areas were very surprised to see the mosque “Sailors’ Mosques” on the shore. The mosque was built by the Moors in the 14th century, which was and still is a link and a challenge to further spread of Islam in this country. Realizing that the new religion is a religion of peace and tolerance, people accepter it quickly and without coercion. It greatly accelerated the construction of many facilities, while others were converted and adapted to the new spirit, but not demolished as it was the case with other conquers before and beyond (the mosques “Meraja” which was demolished in 1968 or “Sailors’ Mosque” in 1931). The church-mosque in Old Town (as it is called by majority) or the Mosques of Hadji Halil Skura, built in 1510, was adapted into a mosque adding a minaret in 1693. It would have served more than 300 years as a place where believers of Islam religion could gather. Albanians, as autochthon people more than 2500 years, accepted Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance. In this historical context, indigenous people crossing Islam adapted the old place of prayer to their new needs. Islamic architects (builders) left inscription in Latin, decorative plastic, capitals and relieve. The mosque is a unique architectural facility located on the highest part of the Old Town, that together with Balsic Tower make the most recognizable part of this town. The Mosque of Hadji H. Skura or “The Imperial Mosque” (“Carska”) as E. Celebija calls it, meets the environment of this city, that is rightfully called the pearl of the Adriatic Sea and of Mediterranean. Europeans, from the time of Arnold von Harfi, a German travel writer in 1497, constantly came to visit this area, admiring the beauty of the city and describing the hospitality of the people. But, with the development of massive tourism in the country and abroad, the city became known as a symbol of co-existence and unique for its oriental architecture.
Today the mosque serves as a part of museum complex, where many objects and exhibits of our cultural heritage are exposed.
Ismet Karamanaga

Ottoman Legacy in Ulcinj:
Architecture, Customs and Speaking
Suad Ukoshata*
1 Something about history
Ulcinj is the last town on the Montenegrin coast, situated just 13 km from the river
Bojana, which represents the border between Montenegro and Albania. As is it
known, this town falls under Ottoman Empire on the year 1571 and remains like this
until 1878, with The Congress of Berlin.
Ulcinj was known with its own marine, and it is believed that first Muslims came
on this town through the seamen. To make this fact stronger, there are some tellings
that the oldest mosque in the territory of Ulcinj is the Seamen’s mosque, from the period
before Ulcinj became a part of the Ottoman Empire. However, massive converting
of the people of this part in Islam began on the XVIIth century.
During the Ottomans, Ulcinj got totally oriental view. There started to be built
mosques, hamams, drinking-fountains, sahat-kula, hans, streets, cobble-stoned streets
(paving stone) and tombs (turbes). Everything was adapted for the new masters.
From that period, in the entrance of the City market in the Old town remained a
flagstone written in Ottoman Language. Its translation means: “God bless this castle
of Islam until the Day of Judgment. These high pillars, like body with soul, are the
deeds of God’s power and beneficence. Oh you weak (man), pray for this fortification
of Islam, on which, in the name of the truth, I wrote this chronogram: ‘Blown rosebud’.
The year 1130 AH.”
Ulcinj also had long and rich marine and trade tradition. The marine of this city
had its culmination of expand in the XVII, XVIII and through XIX centuries. Marine
* Teacher, Madrasa in Podgorica
204 THE OTTOMAN LEGACY AND THE BALKAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES TODAY
trade of Ulcinj citizens with their own ships were developed with big harbors and
trade centers of Adriatic Sea, Levant and Mediterranean. During the period of Ottoman
Empire (1571-1880), Ulcinj with its trade fleet was its main pillar in the Adriatic.
The seamen of Ulcinj, brave and skilled, did not accept the Ottoman Empire very few.
Until the nomination of Mehmed Bushatli for Scutari for vizier, Ulcinj was a small
republic.
2 Comparison between past and present
With such an oriental look, Ulcinj entered under regency of Montenegro in 1878 by
the decision of The Congress of Berlin. The inhabitants of the city gave up, only after
the pressinon of big forces, two years later.
According to some tellings of old ulcinians, The Prince of Montenegro, Nikola,
sent in Ulcinj Montenegrin people from the poorest level of his nation, so they started
to be servants of ulcinian families, while their first houses were very weak.
Communist ideology in Balkans, behind which were hidden many Serbian nationalist
ideas, which propagated disbelief to God All-mighty, during fifty years, succeeded
not just to destroy ideologically the believers of this city, but also its architecture,
intending to destroy everything that smells in Islam.
The destroying of Ulcinj began with the holiest thing for Muslims, with mosques.
In the northern entrance of Old city there was Meterizi mosque, which, after entering
of Montenegrins, in 1880, was in a ruined situation. Seeing it like this, the Prince
Nikola gave the permission for rebuilding of a new mosque. Intending to inform the
Muslims with this permission, on September 19th, 1891 he wrote:
“To my faithful Mohammedans of the City of Ulcinj, namely Mohammedans to the settlement
of Meterizi, on the place of old, almost ruined mosque on the same settlement.
In the sign of my constant love to you, my loyal citizens, and my permanent wish that
you may feel free and advanced in your faith, I ordered for you to accept 3.000 grosh as
my help to rebuild the above mentioned mosque. Nikola.”2
But, instead of building a mosque, with merits of “our” man at the same location
on the basement of the above mentioned mosque there is built an orthodox church
of San Nikola3, “in glory of God for the soul of heroes that died in year of 1878 liber-
2 Ruzhdi Ushaku – Jusuf Lika, ULQINI nga dritaret e kohës, Ulqin 2006., page. 27.
3 Prof. Dr. Šerbo Rastoder, Istorijsko-metodološki okvir izučavanja muslimana u Crnoj Gori 1878 –
1912. (I part), Almanah 5-6/99, page. 131.
Ottoman Legacy in Ulcinj: Architecture, Customs and Speaking 205
ating Ulcinj”, as it is written at the memorial-plate. Duke Simo Popović, the secretary
of Prince Nikola, with the stones of overthrown mosque as with stones taken from
the facade of the Old city walls, built the mentioned church, also his own house in
harbor of Ulcinj.
A similar situation also had another mosque. In the year 1931, government of
that time ruins the Seamen’s mosque, which is to be considered as the oldest mosque
in Ulcinj, built before Ottomans came in this territory. The minaret of this mosque
was 36 meters tall, on the top of which was put the lantern, whose light was the sign
for seamen that they are coming close to the lovely town. This mosque hangs on
their name. At the same way, in 1967, the government ruined one more mosque, the
mosque of Meraja.
First building that is used as mosque since the Ottoman period was the mosque
of Hajji Halil Skura, today known as church-mosque, which until 1689 was a catholic
church (built in 1510), remained as mosque until 1942/3, when was devastated, and
from 1975 without any decision was taken from the possession of Islamic community
and became a part of museum complex. In the year of 2001 Islamic community
started proceeding to bring it back on its possesion, but the state organs again were
determined for keeping the building as a museum!
Then, Ulcinj had a lot of fountains, many of them were close to the main street.
All of them were removed during the 80s of last century.
The most flagrant case that was planned to be realized was the last one in the end
of 80s of the XXth century, when the communists wanted to ruin all mosques in the
town with pretext that they intend to build another one, much bigger than others, in
the suburb of the city. First mosque that had to be ruined was the mosque of Lamit
where I am the imam now. In front of ruining weapons that wanted to start the “job”
that early morning was the head imam of that time, rah. Ibrahim ef. Bajramović, who
said: “First, you have to kill me, and than you can ruin the mosque”. Thus, their miserable
plan went down.
Another visible devastation was the destroying of the main road of the town, on
which, being unconscious for what they were doing, even the Muslim citizens participated
on destroying the road. In fact, government of that time allowed the citizens
building of buildings with high dimensions, destroying a unique uniform oriental
appearance of this part of town, where all the buildings were of one height and building
material, from wood.
Those, and surely more ruins are enough to understand the non-humanity con206
THE OTTOMAN LEGACY AND THE BALKAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES TODAY
duct of government people of that time in relation with Islamic-Ottoman architecture
in this town. The town having all those elements inside of it was called the meeting
of east and west, a town which until the end of 80s of the XXth century was visited
by millions of tourists.
3 The fact of rebuilding of this legacy, undertaken by
Islamic community or local authorities (municipality)
After falling of communist system and after stabilizing the political situation in Balkans,
after the wars of 90s of the XXth century, among Muslim believers of this part
came to soul revival, on the ideological and in architectural aspect as well. So, Islamic
community in this town succeeded in 2001 to rebuild the building of ex-Islamic primary
school, so called mekteb, which was ruined during the bombardment of Ulcinj
from fascists, in 1943. Some of the pupils of this school are still alive. In this building
today there are the offices of Islamic community of Ulcinj, kindergarten, library,
reading hall, small conferences, etc. Meanwhile, Islamic community succeeded to
bring back 2-3 nationalized business locals that were taken by communists. For one
of these locals there is being made a project for its revitalization or bringing back the
old oriental appearance, as it is bezistan in Sarajevo.
In 2008 it was began the rebuilding of the Mosque of Seamen, mentioned above,
and it is believed to be in function until the end of this year. There is no doubt that this
object will bring back to this part of town the oriental-Islamic spirit that it possessed
until 1931.
It is soon expected to begin with the jobs on revitalization of Hamam, which is
found near the Mosque of Pasha and its origin is from the Ottoman period, precisely
from 1719 at the time when the mosque was built. This kind of hamam is the unique
one in Montenegro.
On the process of revival of old architecture of the town there is also incorporated
the municipality of Ulcinj. This year, the municipality of Ulcinj succeeded to cobblestone
a big part of the centre of the town, and this was the first phase of the jobs and
it will be continued. Like this, existing asphalt was taken off, under which was hidden
one beautiful fountain the deed from Ottoman period. It was called Fountain with
stairs and it was covered with asphalt in the communist period, but it is rebuilt again
and now it is in function. Such a deed was not expected well from all the citizens! New
cobble-stoned street gave to the city another look, more oriental.
Ottoman Legacy in Ulcinj: Architecture, Customs and Speaking 207
4 Present traditions originating from Ottoman period until today,
including hygienic aspect, food diversity, etc.
At the same time with Islam, Ottomans brought so many traditions, which were accepted
by the domestic inhabitants.
From the hygienic aspect, the town of Ulcinj was full of fountains, as I said before.
Then, almost each house had a kind of dish made from stone called ‘dybek’ which was
used by women for washing the laundry. These kinds of dishes can be found today
in many houses, although not in use, they are conserved with a special sympathy as
something worthy from our history. Also, the pronounced need of Muslims for water
made that almost each house in their gardens has its own well, and really if you walk
through the city, you will rarely find a house without a well. Even that most of them
are not in use, because they are replaced with the city water supply, they are preserved
and embellished, in dependence of interesting of each one.
More interesting than these, there are different foods, which worthy Ulcinian
women make, especially in specific moments, as Eids, iftars through month of Ramadan,
different family celebrations, etc. For example, as in Istanbul, in Ulcinj you can
find yaprak, sarma, pide, kofte, kebaps, hurmashitza, baklava, halva, sutlaç, etc. All
these receipts are inherited since the Ottoman times and with the most special care
are cherished until nowadays. Surely, most of them are replaced with speed foods as
well as with Mediterranean ones, but besides them they are not forgotten and they
are made in special occasions. Those are not just prepared inside houses, but even in
restaurants, offering a menu from most attractive for all visitors of Ulcinj. Even for
non-Muslims.
5 Treatment of some terms with Turk, Arabic and Persian origin,
used even by non-muslims
The majority of the inhabitants of Ulcinj are Albanians and speak their own mother
language – Albanian language. And, as it is known, Albanians include people with
Muslim and Christian belief. But, no matter of the belief, until today in their vocabulary
one can hear using words with different origin, like Turkish, Arabic or Persian
language. It is worth to be mentioned the fact that these words became a part of Albanian
vocabulary, but not just in their language. For curiosity, even the Montenegrin
language accepted and now use these words, no matter was it in spoken or written
form. Even more, they do not have other alternative! Wishing not to load this theme
208 THE OTTOMAN LEGACY AND THE BALKAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES TODAY
in quantity or time, I have selected about twenty-five of those words with their meanings:
AKLLAGI – smooth stick. Bos.=Oklagija…; BAKLLAVA – dessert. Bos.=Baklava…;
BUREK – kind of food. Bos.=Burek…; ÇESHME – fountain. Bos.=Česma…; DUQAN
– store. Bos.=Dućan…; FILXHAN – kind of dish. Bos.=Fildžan…; GURRABI – kind of
dessert. Bos.=Gurabija…; GJEMI – ship. Bos.=Barka, čamac…; JAPRAK – kind of food
made from grape leafs. Bos.=Japrak…; JORGAN – kind of cover from wool, cotton…
Bos.=Jorgan…; Bos.=Komšija…; MUSAFIR – guest. Bos.=Musafir, gost…; PITE – food
from paste. Bos.=Pita…; QORRSOKAK – blind way. Bos.=Ćorsokak, slijepi put…; QYP
– dish from clay. Bos.=Posuda od gline…; SAHAT – clock. Bos.=Sat…; SUTLIJASH
(SUTLAÇ) – kind of dessert. Bos.=Sutlijaš… TAZE – fresh. Svjež…; TEZE – mother’s
sister. Bos.=Teze, tetka…; XHEZVE – dish for cooking the coffee. Bos.=Džezva…; XHUMA
– praying, day. Bos.=Petak, dan džume…; YRNEK – model. Bos.=Model…; ZANAT
– craft. Bos.=Zanat…;
From mentioned words, I would like to distinguish words Akllagi, Bakllava, Burek,
Çeshme, Gurrabi, Japrak, Jorgan, Komshi, Musafir, Pite, Qyp, Sutlijash, Teze, Xhezve,
Zanat, and many more, for which there is no space and time to be mentioned. These
words do not have other alternative, although in the dictionary someone can find
some words that correspond with Albanian language. While words Çeshme, Kaish,
Komshi, Qorrsokak, etc., are used mostly from Bosnian people. It is so interesting that
all Albanians, Muslims and Christians, call Friday as juma-day, in some situations even
by the Montenegrins.
I hope that all introduced details clearly show the big influence that the Ottoman
civilization has in architecture and in speaking, legacy that has been ready accepted
by the inhabitants of these areas. Beside the period of stagnation and systematic devastation
almost one hundred years, there are some positive impulses to recall some
elements from that time.
This thing, positively understood, is a motivation more for inheritors of
that big civilization to express an intended interest in giving their contribution
to recall something of all that what was before.
I am grateful to the organizers of this conference for a wonderful possibility to
participate here and I congratulate all participants for their observations not to remain
just talked words and written sentences, but an impulse to deal and realize for commonweal.