Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: King Mosque

After the end of the Macedonian-Roman War in 168 BC, Illyria came under Roman protectorate and in 146 BC the Romans built the Via Egnatia trade route, which was a direct link between Rome and Byzantium as a continuation of the Via Appia. Rest areas were established at regular intervals along this route, one of which was in Scampa, what is Elbasan today. Scampa was developed into a fortress by the Romans. Even today, the remains of late antique walls are still visible in some places up to a height of three metres. The position of the wall rectangle of 348 metres by 308 metres still forms the boundary of the old town today. The Via Egnatia ran through the two city gates located in the centre of the west and east sides. Scampa became the seat of a bishop in the 5th century. The remains of an early basilica were uncovered on a hill outside the city walls. From the 7th century onwards, there were Slavic invasions and the town was destroyed by fire. The place was then probably abandoned. It is unclear whether a settlement existed under the Byzantines. It may still have been abandoned when the Ottomans built a military camp there and a massive four-sided castle was constructed in order to fight Skanderbeg, due to an ongoing conflict between the Ottomans and Albanians. In 1467 many Christians from Skopje, Ohrid, Serres and Kastoria were forcibly deported to Elbasan. By the end of the 17th century it had 2,000 inhabitants. At the beginning of the 20th century it was estimated that 15,000 people lived in Elbasan. The King Mosque is considered the oldest preserved mosque in Albania. Built at the end of the 15th century, the mosque is located in the old town within the fortress walls. The mosque consists of a quadrangular prayer room, the sides of which are around 14 metres long. In front of it is a wooden vestibule and in the north-west corner stands the minaret. After religion was banned in Albania in 1967, the building was repurposed and altered. It served as a centre for popular political education. By 1979, only the prayer room remained of the building - the minaret had been demolished. In 2013, the mosque was extensively and faithfully restored. The minaret was also rebuilt.

Berat was known under the ancient name of Antipatrea since at least the 4th century BC. The city eventually was conquered by Macedonian king Philip V until Roman intervention. It was described as the largest settlement with significant walls but got destroyed in 200 BCE and then included within Epirus Nova, in the province of Macedonia. Following the fall of the western Roman Empire the town became part of the unstable frontier of the Byzantine Empire, when it as well suffered by Slavic invasions.. It became part of the First Bulgarian Empire in the 9th century, in 1018 surrendered to the emperor Basil II, and remained in Byzantine hands until the Second Bulgarian Empire retook the city in 1203. In 1272 Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII asked the Albanian leaders of Berat and Durrës to abandon their alliance with Charles I of Naples, leader of the Kingdom of Albania, who had captured and incorporated it in the Kingdom of Albania. However, they contacted Charles about it as a sign of their loyalty. In 1274 Michael VIII recaptured Berat. In 1280-1281 the Sicilian forces laid siege to Berat. In March 1281 a relief force from Constantinople was able to drive off the Sicilian army and Berat again fell under the control of the Byzantine Empire. Berat the fell into decline. By the end of the 16th century it had only 710 houses. However, it began to recover by the 17th century, and became a major craft centre. During the first part of the 16th century, Berat was a Christian city and did not contain any Muslim households. Following their expulsion from Spain, a Jewish community existed in Berat that consisted of 25 families between 1519 and 1520. End of the 16th century, Berat contained 461 Muslim houses. Conversion to Islam of the urban population in Berat had increased. During WWII, Jews were concealed in the homes and basements of 60 families from the Muslim and Christian communities in Berat. Muslims let Jewish people worship in the local mosque. In the 1950s, during the Communist era, Berat became a place of internal exile for those who were deemed public enemies. In 1967, Albanian author Ismail Kadare was sent to Berat, where he spent two years. Berat, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. It comprises a unique style of architecture with influences from several civilizations that have managed to coexist for centuries throughout the history. The King Mosque (aka Sultan Mosque) is located in the medieval center of the Mangalem district. Since 1948 it has been one of Albania's cultural monuments. The mosque was built in 1492 by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II. It received its current appearance in the 18th century.