Gallery
Description
Property Name: Shehid Mehmed Pasha Mosque
Inventory No: 359-2-1
Date of infill of the inventory form: 2008-02-12
Country (State party): Bulgaria
Province: Sofia
Town:
Geographic coordinates: 42° 41′ 47″ N
23° 20′ 18″ E
Historic Period: Classic Ottoman (1453-1579)
Year of Construction: 1451
Style: Classical Ottoman
Original Use: Mosque
Current Use: Museum
Architect: Unknown
Significance
Shehid Mehmed Pasha Jami is the biggest Islamic building in Sofia, transformed into a depository for archaeological finds and antiques from Bulgarian lands. The premises and collections, enriched over the 110 year history of the Archaeological Museum, currently attract many visitors to the city centre.
Selection Criteria
vi. to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance
State of Preservation
Thanks to the restoration measures undertaken over the last few years, the condition of the building of the Archaeological Museum (Buyuk Mosque) has improved to such an extent that although further works are needed, the building no longer needs to be included on Bulgaria’s Prioritised Intervention List (PIL).
– 1993 – general rehabilitation (security, electrical, heating installations)
– 1993-1995 – installed exhibition panels, technical assistance provided by experts from the Restoration School in Venice, Italy
– 2003 – general rehabilitation of the interior, the timber ceiling construction renewed and finished with plaster
– 2004-2005 – general repair and replacement of rain/water spouts and gutters.
– 2005: partial repair of the lead roof covering; partial reorganisation of the exhibition (mosque) and the administrative building; cleaning of the stone revetment of the facades; scraping and varnishing of the timber floor in the central exhibition hall; renewal of the power installation
2006 – rehabilitation of the heating system; general re-painting; replacement of the
woodwork (windows and doors).
References
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