Banya Bashi Mosque
Баня баши джамия
An Ottoman-era mosque completed in 1566 and built over a hot spring. It is the only mosque in Sofia still in active use.
Banya Bashi means 'above the bathhouse,' a name that reflects its construction over a natural hot-spring bath. Completed in 1566, it is often attributed to the Ottoman architect Sinan. Its large dome and minaret remain intact, and it is the only mosque in Sofia still in use. Visitors may enter outside prayer times. Shoes must be removed, and women must cover their hair and arms. The mosque, the Sofia Synagogue, St. Nedelya Church and St. Joseph Catholic Cathedral are only a few hundred meters apart and are known as the 'Square of Religious Tolerance.' Right in front are the Central Mineral Baths and a free mineral-water drinking fountain.
Opening hours
Open outside service times
Nearby sights
- Ancient Serdica Complex
- Central Sofia Market Hall
- Central Mineral Baths (Sofia History Museum)
- Sofia Synagogue
- Church of St. George Rotunda
- St Nedelya Church
- National Archaeological Museum
- Zhenski Pazar (Women's Market)