Banya Bashi Mosque

Banya Bashi Mosque stands on bul. Knyaginya Maria Luiza in central Sofia, Bulgaria, next to the Central Mineral Baths and the Central Sofia Market Hall. It was built in 1576 by the Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, and its name means 'many baths', referring to the thermal springs beneath the area. It is the only functioning mosque in Sofia and one of the few Ottoman buildings that survived the rebuilding of the city after 1878. The exterior is distinguished by a large single dome, a tall slender minaret, and a simple stone and brick facade. The interior is a single prayer hall with a carpeted floor, a decorated mihrab and calligraphy on the walls. Visitors are welcome outside the five daily prayer times, and are asked to remove shoes, dress modestly, and keep conversation quiet. Women are asked to cover their heads, and scarves are sometimes available at the entrance. A typical visit lasts 15-20 minutes. The best vantage point for photos is from the pedestrian area across the road, where the dome and minaret fit into one frame with the market hall, and from the small garden beside the baths. The site forms part of the so-called Square of Tolerance, where a mosque, the Sofia Synagogue, the Orthodox Sveta Nedelya Church and a Catholic cathedral are within a few minutes' walk of one another. Crowds are light, but prayer times, especially Friday midday, close the interior to sightseers. Late morning and mid-afternoon are the most reliable times to enter. The mosque is two minutes from Serdika metro station, so it is easy to add to a walking route through central Sofia that also covers the market hall, the Serdica ruins, and the Women's Market.