Aladža Mosque - Foča (BH_10)
Country or territory: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Name of organisation compiling the information: Commission to Preserve National Monuments
Contact name: Mirela Mulaluć Handan
Email address: mirela.m.handan@kons.gov.ba
Name and address of building(s) or site: Site and Remnants of the Architectural ensemble of Aadža Mosque in Foča
Inventory reference number(s): 06.1-2-1062/03-6
Building type(s): Architectural ensemble consists of mosque, fountain, wall fountain, graveyard and turbe (mausoleum) – monumental ensemble. Religious - Mosque
Main date(s): Date of construction 1550
Current use(s): Currently not in use
Significance
The Aladza mosque, an outstanding monument of 1550-1, was completely destroyed during the war in 1992. A complete reconstruction is proposed, to be carried out under the auspices of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments. This will send out a clear and unambiguous message that justice and human rights are prevailing over destruction and crimes, thereby enhancing the process of return and reconciliation.
The Hasan-pasha mosque (Aladža or Šarena – coloured – mosque) was built in 1550/1 (957 AH). By the second half of the 16th century the mosque had already acquired the name Aladža, on account of its rich painted and carved decoration (alaca = coloured) – in 1588 one Ali Čelebija is referred to as the hatib of the Aladža mosque. The founder of the Aladža mosque was called Hasan, son of Jusuf Sinanuddin, and he was the supervisor of all the imperial lands in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from which he had the nickname Nazir (inspector). He died in Buda as defterdar (finance minister) of the city.
The Aladža mosque, symbol of the town, is located on the right bank of the river Ćehotine. It was distinctive in its architecture, its structural proportions, and its geometric and floral decoration, evidence that Hasan Nazir did not stint his wealth when he decided to build a mosque of unique beauty. The master-builder Ramadan had built 21 mosques before the Aladža. Its foundations are 10.15 m (33 cubits) long and 13.75 m (25 cubits) wide. The walls are 110 cm thick. The 36 m tall, slender, quadrangular minaret stood out for its virtuosity. Each field of the pedestal of the minaret was carved with fine motifs in the Arab style, all different.
The inscription above the entrance door to the mosque, incised on a stone plaque measuring 90 x 50 cm, formulated in three elliptical fields, is a masterpiece of calligraphy.
The skill with which the decoration was executed on the stone surfaces of the mihrab, mimber and mahfil, the portal and the capitals of the portico, is also evidence of the superb craftsmanship of the stonemason.
The mihrab was very imposing and of unusual size for mosques in this country, with a height of 6.07 m and a width of 2.64 m. The mimber in the mosque was equally handsome and created with the same artistic skill. The finest Islamic wall paintings in Bosnia were those of the Aladža mosque.
At the same time as the mosque, the turbe of Hasan Nazir’s son was built in the mosque harem. To the north of the mosque portico a šadrvan fountain was erected for abdest – ritual ablutions.
The large burial ground (14,000 sq.m.) north of the Aladža mosque had a large number of tombstones, ranging from ordinary stone blocks dating from the 15th century, the transitional period from the stećak tombstone, to nišan tombstones. There was a fountain in the south wall of the harem.
Categories of Significance
- Of outstanding national importance.
Categories of ownership or interest
- Of national interest.
Documentation and bibliliographic references
- Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
- Technical documentation –project of conditions before destruction - Institute for monuments of the Federal Ministry for Culture and Sport.
Condition
Amount of war or associated damage
5. Destroyed
Durring the war 1992.-1995. in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aladža mosque was complitly destroyed. Fragments of the mosque were taken away.
The implementation of the project ALADŽA MOSQUE IN FOČA is based on
1. Protection of the monument.
2. Raising awareness of the importance of the rehabilitation of the mosque for the process of return and reconciliation.
3. Establishments of links between young people (children and university students with their heritage).
The following activities have been carried out on the site during 2006 - 2007:
- clearing the site of overgrowth
- many fragments of the mosque found built into the wall dividing the site from the surrounding plots
- removal of a 10-15 cm thick layer of topsoil in order to identify the remains of the mosque and other parts of the complex
- foundation walls of the mosque revealed
- fragments of the original floor paving of the mosque discovered
- lower layers of the mihrab discovered
- foundation/plinth of the mimber discovered
- foundation wall of the minaret uncovered
- original paving of the sofas discovered
- large number of fragments discovered within the building
- lower layers of the šadrvan fountain uncovered
- large number of fragments of the šadrvan railing discovered
- site of the turbe discovered, with plinth and one surviving base of pillar
- tombstone of Hasan Nazir, founder of the mosque, discovered
- parts of the chronogram discovered and identified
- transfer of fragments from site L1 and from the river Drina to the site of the Aladža mosque
- preliminary identification of fragments
- technical and photographic recording of fragments and data entry on files
- all fragments and parts of the building marked
- digitizing the recorded material and drawing in AutoCAD. These activities were carried out by students from the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo under expert supervision and by agreement with experts engaged on the project
- noticeboard with details of the property produced
Risk
- The remnants of the destroyed monument are partly imposed to further deterioration.
Condition risk
F. Repair scheme in progress and end use and user identified.
Rehabilitation of the mosque including conservation and restoration works.
Technical assessment and costing
The National Monument shall be reconstructed in its original form, on its original site, with the use of identical or similar material and authentic methods of construction, on the basis of information on its previous.
The Preliminary Technical Tssessment, Feasibility study and Business Plan have been completed within the project timelines.
Overview of stages of works and costings from the Business Plan
1. Pre-rehabilitation costs
The whole of the work has already been carried out in preparation for the rehabilitation of the Aladža Mosque:
- The site where the Mosque once stood has been cleared and fenced off.
- Parts of the stonework from the building have been found, properly classified, stored in an orderly manner and secured. Non-material preparations have also been carried out, in the form of working with relevant local institutions to arrive at a common position on the rehabilitation process, so creating a climate conducive to initiating the actual reconstruction of the Aladža Mosque.
- Preservation of the Mosque remains in situ.
- Excavation of all fragments from locations.
- Preservation of the fragments.
- Research works.
- Preparation of the rehabilitation project for the Mosque ensemble which obtained approval from the responsible Ministry of RS.
The fund-raising section is being assembled, processed, approved and implemented.
Total pre-rehabilitation costs (implemented): 713.000 KM (364.551 EUR)
2. Rehabilitation costs
The projected costs of rehabilitation have been drawn up on the basis of technical assessments which themselves result from observing certain standards and experience in carrying out works of this kind. The main costs are those associated with building works, but this group also includes promotion costs of which the outcome is designed to generate public opinion in support of heritage reconstruction, and the administration costs associated with project implementation.
The investments in further rehabilitation are set out by basic groups and implementation stages:
1. cost of reconstruction works 6.050.369KM (3.093.505 EUR)
2. cost of capacity building, education
and raising the awareness activities 240.000 KM (122.710 EUR)
3. project promotion costs 525.000 KM (268.428 EUR)
4. administrative costs associated with the rehabilitation costs
of the revenue stream analyses 622.920 KM (318.494 EUR)
5. Revenue stream analyses costs 200.000 KM (100.000 EUR)
TOTAL OF THE REHABILITATION WORKS 7.638.289 KM (3.905.395 EUR)
Detaljan opis faza radova sadržan je u Biznis planu.
In 2009 US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation provided $ 99.000.
Start of reconstruction: consolidation of foundations, building walls to height of 2 m.
Implementer: Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
Ownership
- Religious denomination - Islamic community of BiH.
Occupation
- Not occupied.
Management
The provisions relating to protection and rehabilitation measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no. 9/02) apply to the National Monument.
The Commission to Preserve National Monuments is a state-level institution of Bosnia and Herzegovina established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and by Decision of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is responsible for adopting decisions designating movable and immovable properties as national monuments, applying the criteria for the designation of national monuments (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina no. 33/02). The Commission’s decisions prescribe the basic provisions and protection measures pertaining to each national monument.
In accordance to the Law, the Government of the Republika Srpska is responsible for ensuring and providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary to protect, conserve, display and rehabilitate the National Monument.
The Ministry of Regional Planning of Republika Srpska is responsible for the implementation of legally-prescribed protection measures. It is responsible for issuing planning approvals and permits for all works and construction in the protected area on the basis of planning and technical documentation approved by an authorized professional institution.
The Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of RS is involved in these activities by verifying whether the conditions set out in the technical documentation have been met. The Institute is responsible for expert supervision, as prescribed by the Decision of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, and for the implementation of projects or parts thereof financed by the Government of Republika Srpska.
Decisions designating national monuments are forwarded to the authorities responsible for town planning and cadastral affairs in order to implement the measures prescribed by these decisions, and to the competent municipal court for entry in the Land Register.
Foča Municipality is responsible, through its various departments and the buildings and planning inspectorate of the Inspectorate Authority of RS, for overseeing and controlling on-site activities.
The Municipality is required to append all its plans and documents pertaining to the protected area of the national monuments to the decisions issued by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments. The Municipality is required to refrain from all activities detrimental to the national monuments, and to cooperate with the Commission to Preserve National Monuments and the Entity institutions in the process of implementing the Commission’s decisions.
Pursuant to the Decision of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments is authorized to perform activities of international cooperation in the field of heritage. The Commission is responsible for the implementation of the project in accordance with the Rules for the implementation of donor funds earmarked for the renovation or protection of the endangered cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Islamic community as owner will provide regular maintenance once the building is rehabilitated.
Summary
The Aladza (meaning ”painted”) Mosque in Foca was built in 1550/1551 in the town center of Foca. By its architecture, structural proportions, and both engraved and painted geometric and floral decoration, Aladza Mosque was one of the most important monuments in Bosnia and Hercegovina and beyond.
The Aladza Mosque belongs to the type of single-space domed mosques built in classical Ottoman style, with an open exterior portico and with a minaret abutting onto the right hand side. It was built by Ramadan-agha, a chief representative (baş halife) of Koca Mimar Sinan, who was the leading architect of the Ottoman Empire (from 1548 to 1588).
The finest and most interesting decorative stone fittings inside the mosques of Bosnia and Herzegovina were those of the Aladza Mosque in Foca.
In 1992 the complex of the Aladza Mosque in Foca was blown down and totally destroyed along with its associated buildings of the turbe (mausoleum) of Ibrahim, son of the founder of the mosque, the burial grounds to the east, south and west of the mosque, and the tombstone of the founder, Hasan Nazir, the shadrvan and fountain in the wall of the courtyard, the stone wall to the south-east, most of the stone wall to the south-west, the south and west entrance gates.
The reconstruction, to be carried out under the auspices of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, will send out a clear and unambiguous message that justice and human rights are prevailing over destruction and crimes, thereby enhancing the process of return and reconciliation and so directly contributing to the implementation of a stable peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The priority level of intervention is HIGH.
NOTE:
Condition
1. Destroyed
Condition risk
F. Repair scheme in progress and end use and user identified.
Sign. and date
Medina H. Katana, architect
Mirela Mulaluć Handan, architect
2010
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