Church & monasteryDobruja & the Black Sea

Esmahan Sultan Mosque in Mangalia: the oldest mosque in Romania

The Esmahan Sultan Mosque (Moscheea Esmahan Sultan) in Mangalia, Constanța County, was built in 1575 and is described as the oldest mosque in Romania. A sultan’s daughter founded it, ancient stone went into its walls, and a cemetery with tombstones more than 300 years old still surrounds it.

The stone blocks of this 1575 mosque are held together not by mortar but by cast steel staples set into drilled holes, and the stone itself was salvaged from the ruins of ancient Callatis.

WhereMangalia, Constanța County, Romania

TypeOttoman mosque of 1575 with a historic Muslim cemetery

Best forOttoman heritage in Romania, stonework and woodwork details, a quiet historic cemetery

Getting thereIn the town of Mangalia; the Genoese Lighthouse, the nearest other place on this site, is about 41 km away

The history of the Esmahan Sultan Mosque

The mosque dates from 1575, the Ottoman period. It was built by Ismihan, known in Romania as Esmahan Sultan, a daughter of Sultan Selim II, who ruled from 1566 to 1574, and of Nurbanu Sultan. She was also the wife of the Ottoman Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. The name of its founder is spelled in several ways in the sources, but it is Esmahan Sultan that the mosque carries today.

A team of Turkish craftsmen raised the building from cut stone rescued from the ruins of Callatis. They set the blocks together without any binder, fixing them only with cast steel staples placed in holes drilled into the stone. Oak props stand at the entrance. Inside, the walls carry no religious paintings or other ornament, and the ceiling is decorated with fine woodwork. The courtyard fountain was built with stone taken from an old Roman tomb.

The mosque has a cemetery beside it, valued as highly as the monument itself, with Muslim tombs that are more than 300 years old. During the Communist period the place of worship was neglected: weeds overran it and the cemetery had no fence around it. After 1989 the mosque was put in order again with the help of the Mangalia city hall, and some years after the Revolution the old Turkish graves and the building were restored and the courtyard was closed off with a high fence.

A much bigger intervention followed in 2008, when the mosque was rebuilt from its foundations. The old roof was removed to be replaced by a new one, the plaster inside was redone, and the minaret, which had tilted strongly, was brought back to its original state. The fountain in the courtyard, which had been filled in during 1959, was rebuilt as well, so that its water could again be used for the ritual washing of the dead. Today the mosque serves the Turkish and Tatar Muslim community of the area, and both the mosque and its cemetery are listed as historic monuments in Romania.

Curiosities about the Esmahan Sultan Mosque

The cut stone blocks were joined without any binder: the builders used only cast steel staples set into holes drilled in the stone.
The stone for the walls was rescued from the ruins of ancient Callatis, while the courtyard fountain was made from stone from an old Roman tomb.
Its founder was a sultan’s daughter and a grand vizier’s wife: Esmahan Sultan, daughter of Selim II and Nurbanu Sultan, married to Sokollu Mehmed Pasha.
Before the 2008 works the minaret was strongly tilted; it was brought back to its original state during the rebuilding.
The courtyard fountain had been filled in during 1959 and was rebuilt in 2008, so the water can again serve the ritual washing of the dead.
The tombstones in the cemetery next to the mosque are more than 300 years old.

Tours near Esmahan Sultan Mosque

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

GROUP Guided Day Trip to the Danube Delta, Tulcea - Letea

★ 4.8 (102 reviews) · 9 h

See details ›

Guided Birdwatching day trip to the Danube Delta - private program

★ 5 (28 reviews) · 6 h

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Danube Delta Tour from Tulcea to Mila 23, Letea Forest and Sulina

★ 4.7 (23 reviews) · 10 h

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Danube Delta PRIVATE boat trip to Letea Forest (guided tour)

★ 4.8 (16 reviews) · 9 h

See details ›

Visiting the Esmahan Sultan Mosque: what to see

Inside, look for the minbar (pulpit) opposite the entrance, the mihrab niche beside it and the carved wooden ceiling. The walls are free of religious paintings.
Outside, the porch pillars and wooden railings give the building a distinctive look, and spiral stairs lead up to the terrace of the minaret.
The old Muslim cemetery beside the mosque is part of the visit and is listed as a historic monument in its own right.
The mosque is an active place of worship for the local Turkish and Tatar community, so check the current visiting arrangements and opening hours before you go.
The Genoese Lighthouse, the nearest other place on this site, is about 41 km away.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Esmahan Sultan Mosque is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Esmahan Sultan Mosque

Questions

Where is the Esmahan Sultan Mosque?

It stands in the town of Mangalia in Constanța County, Romania.

Is the Esmahan Sultan Mosque the oldest mosque in Romania?

Yes, it is described as the oldest mosque in Romania, built in 1575. Romanian Wikipedia specifies that it is the oldest Muslim place of worship still standing in the country.

Who built the Esmahan Sultan Mosque?

Esmahan Sultan, a daughter of Sultan Selim II and wife of the Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, built it in 1575.

What is the mosque built of?

Of cut stone rescued from the ruins of ancient Callatis, joined without binder by cast steel staples set into drilled holes.

Is there a cemetery at the mosque?

Yes. A Muslim cemetery with tombstones more than 300 years old flanks the mosque, and both are listed historic monuments.

Is the mosque still used for worship?

Yes. It serves the local Muslim community, mostly of Turkish and Tatar origin, so check visiting arrangements before you go.