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, when despot 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.

Address:  Obala Isa-bega Ishakovića, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosna i Hercegovina
Phone: +387 33 532-144