List of former mosques in Greece

This is a list of former mosques in Greece. It lists former mosques (Arabic: مَسْجِد, romanized: masjid, Greek: τζαμί, romanized: tzamí, Turkish: cami) and places of worship for Muslims in Greece. It lists some but by no means all of the old historical mosques of Greece. The term former mosque in this list includes any Muslim mosque (building) or site used for Islamic prayer (Salah) in Greece but is not so any longer. For currently open, functioning mosques in Greece see List of mosques in Greece.

Mosques have existed within the borders of modern Greece since the era of Emirate of Crete (824-961). But no mosques of the Emirate remain as they were torn down and remaining Muslims either killed, enslaved or converted to Christianity after the Byzantine reconquest of Crete (961).^[1][2] Therefore, currently the oldest mosque in Greece and the entire Balkan peninsula is believed to be the Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Mosque, the first in Didymoteicho (Western Thrace) built between 1389 and 1402.^[3]

Most of the listed former mosques date from the late 14th century to the early 20th century, when various parts of modern Greece was at some point a part of the Ottoman Empire.^[3] Beyond the new mosques built during Ottoman period, several Christian churches throughout Greece were also converted to mosques over time upon conquest, like the church of Hagios Demetrios in Thessalonica.^[4] Those were gradually converted back to churches following Greece's independence and annexation of other regions.

Many Ottoman mosques and the other Muslim monuments, especially in southern Greece, were either destroyed during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s and successive wars and conflicts. During periods of nationalist uprising and wars against the Ottoman and later the Turkish army, the newly independent Greek nation showed little respect for the monuments of a faith identified with the enemy.^[3] A number of Ottoman mosques were confiscated and repurposed for use as churches, government offices, and other civilian purposes.

Many more mosques in Greece were closed or abandoned due to the 1923 Population exchange between Greece and Turkey; as a result, 355,000 to 400,000 Muslims left Greece,^[5] most of them forcibly made to leave their lands, livelihoods, and mosques.

Many former mosques and other religious buildings also survived in the provinces of Macedonia, Thrace, Crete, and the islands of the Dodecanese which were integrated into the Greek State in the early 20th century. By then there was already a law for the protection of religious buildings of all faiths.^[3]

The surviving former mosques or other religious structures are nowadays protected as monuments.^[3] A number of them are still used as government buildings and churches, while many others have been restored and used as museums, exhibition, and concerts centers and as tourist attractions.^[3]

Mosque buildings

List of former mosques in Attica and Central Greece

List of former mosques in Attica that encompasses the entire metropolitan area of Athens, and the rest of the Central Greece which encompasses Attica.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
Emir Zade Museum	Emir Zade Mosque (Greek: Εμίρ Ζαδέ Τζαμί)		Chalcis	15th century	1821	After the Greek War of Independence in 1821 it was converted into a barracks, and later it was declared a historical monument. Today it houses part of the medieval archaeological collection of Chalcis.	[6]
Fethiye Mosque Museum	Fethiye Mosque (English: Mosque of the Conquest, Greek: Φετιχιέ τζαμί, Turkish: Fethiye Camii), Wheat Market Mosque		Athens	15th Century	1830	One of the most important monuments from Ottoman Greece period still existing in Athens. Reportedly mosque first opened in 15th century on ruins of a Byzantine Christian basilica. Current mosque built in 1668–1670. Mosque was repurposed after 1834 Greek independence and fell into disrepair. Renovated and open to public for cultural exhibitions since 2017.	[7][8]
	Gazi Omer Bey Mosque		Livadeia	Late 15th century	1830	After the city was conquered in 1460, Omer Bey had a mosque erected in the bazaar district. Since 2015, the mosque belongs to the municipality of Livadeia, which intends to carry out a restoration project and create a cultural place.	[9]
Annexe of Museum of Greek Folk Art	Tzistarakis Mosque (Turkish: Cizderiye Camii), 'Mosque of the Lower Fountain'		Athens	1759	1830	Mosque built by Mustafa Agha Tzisdarakis, the Ottoman governor or commander of Athens Fortress in the heart of town market in Monastiraki Square. After Greece's independence in 1830, mosque was used for various purposes. The state restored it in 1918 and using it as a museum.	[7][8]
Parthenon	Parthenon mosque		Athens	early 18th century	1843	After the destruction of the Parthenon, which was already used as a mosque, in 1687, a smaller, free-standing mosque was erected inside the ruined shell of the temple. It was itself demolished in 1843, over a decade after Greece had achieved independence.	[10]

List of former mosques in Central Macedonia

List of former mosques in Central Macedonia administrative region.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
	Alaca Imaret Mosque		Thessaloniki	1484 or 1487		Today the building is being used for temporary exhibitions, artistic and cultural events.	[11]
	Hamza Bey Mosque		Thessaloniki	15th century		Since 1923, the minaret was removed and the building no longer functioned as a mosque. It was taken over by the Greek Ministry of Culture in 2006.
Lembet Mosque	Ferideh Hanım Mosque		Thessaloniki	1903	1912	It was the very last mosque to be opened in Thessaloniki in 1903, less than a decade before the Ottomans lost the city to the Kingdom of Greece in 1912 during the Balkan Wars. It was then used by the Greek army for almost a century. Restoration works began in 2011.	[12]
	Mahmud Çelebi Mosque		Veria			Not open for worship. The minaret collapsed in 1940, and only the base remains today.	[13]
	Medrese Mosque		Veria	After 1430	1920s	After the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1430, the Ottomans converted the church of Saint Paul into the Mosque of Musa Çelebi. That building was torn down, and its material was used for the current structure, erected on the same site. It is Veria's best-preserved mosque, but it is not open for worship today.	[14]
	Mehmet Bey Mosque (Greek: Τέμενος Μεχμέτ Μπέη)		Serres	1492-1493		Built by Mehmed Bey, son of the grand vizier Gedik Ahmed Pasha in 1492–1493. The mosque and mausoleum of İsmail Bey was left abandoned and ceased to function as a mosque sometime in the late 19th century due to flooding from the nearby river. Neglected and unused today.	[15]
	Orta Mosque		Veria	Late 15th century	After 1923	Orta Mosque, or "middle mosque" was built in the centre of the town. The mosque was declared a preserved monument in 1938, but has variously been used as a house, a musical instruments workshop and a stonemason's workshop.. Now it lies abandoned in ruins, with plant life growing all over it.
Yeni Mosque Museum	Yeni Mosque		Edessa	Mid 17th century	1920s	The mosque was mentioned by Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi, and it is Edessa's sole surviving mosque. The mosque was made into a museum in 1942, and it is open to visitors today.	[16]
	Yeni Mosque		Thessaloniki	1902	1925	Yeni Mosque was built by Italian architect Vitaliano Poselli in 1902. After the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, it was used to house the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki in 1925. Today it serves as an exhibition center.	[17]
	Zincirli Mosque		Serres	Late 16th century	Mid 1920s	The architecture and layout of the building are typical of the late 16th century, following the school of Mimar Sinan. The mosque underwent restoration works in 2000, but it is not open for worship.	[18]

List of former mosques in Crete

List of former mosques in Crete, the largest and most populous of the Greek islands.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
Ierapetra Mosque	Hamidiye Mosque		Ierapetra	1891		It was probably erected around 1891–1892, perhaps on the site of a previous mosque or a church.	[19]
	Kara Musa Pasha Mosque		Rethymno	1660s-1680s	1920s	Converted from an old Venetian monastery, it has been restored and will probably open as a museum of Ottoman Cretan architecture.
Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque	English: Mosque of the Janissaries, Greek: Gialisi Tzami, Turkish: Küçük Hasan Pasha Camii		Chania	1645		Best preserved former mosque in Chania city. Built by Ottomans honoring Kucuk Hasan Pasha. Presumed to be built on a preexisting Christian temple. The mosque has a large semispherical dome supported by stone arches. The north and west sides house a gallery that is crowned by six small domes. The gallery used to be open, as used in the mosques but was enclosed with arched openings in the late 19th century.	[citation needed]
Neradje Mosque	Narenciye Camii		Rethymno	1890	1924	Following the Greco-Turkish population exchange and the departure of Muslims from Crete, Neradje was used as a music school.	[20]
	Valide Sultan Mosque		Rethymno	1650s	1925	Built shortly after the conquest of Rethymno by the Ottomans, it was named in honour of the then valide-sultan (the sultan's mother). Not accessible to the public.	[21]
Paleontological Museum of Rethymno	Veli Pasha Mosque		Rethymno	1651 ?	after 1912	Built very shortly after the fall of Rethymno to the Ottomans, it was heavily damaged during World War II and subsequently restored. Today it houses the Paleontological Museum of Rethymno.	[21]
Saint Titus Cathedral	Yeni Mosque		Heraklion	1869	1925	The original building was a converted church which was destroyed. The current building was erected as a mosque in 1869, and converted into a church in 1925.	[22]

List of former mosques in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

List of former mosques in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace administrative region.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
	Arap Mosque		Drama	1850-1875	after 1923	It was left neglected and abandoned for close one hundred years, during which time it was entirely engulfed by other buildings, before restoration works began in 2021.	[23]
Bayezid Mosque	Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Mosque		Didymoteicho	1420	1920	The mosque is considered by Greek government officials one of the most important Muslim monuments in Greece, as it is the oldest mosque on Greek soil, and perhaps the oldest in the Balkans as well. It no longer functions as a mosque, but it is under extensive restoration work.	[24]
	Halil Bey Mosque		Kavala	1530s	1923	Following the departure of Kavala's Muslims, it was used as a music school and thus dubbed "Music Mosque" or "Old Music". Now functions as a museum.	[25]
Saint Nicholas	Ibrahim Pasha Mosque		Kavala	1530	1920s	Once the largest mosque in the town of Kavala, in the early 1920s it was converted into a church and now serves the Christian population.	[26]
	Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque		Kavala	1813	1923	Mosque part of the Imaret complex in Kavala built by and named in honour of Muhammad Ali Pasha, a Kavala native. The imaret now works as a hotel.
	Selvili Mosque		Komotini			Only the half-destroyed minaret remains of the structure, the actual mosque having been long demolished.	[27]
	Yunus Bey Mosque		Komotini	Unknown		It is not clear when this mosque was built. It is mostly in a ruinous state, with no roof or doors. It is used as a playground for children.	[28]

List of former mosques in Epirus

List of former mosques in Epirus (region) in northwestern Greece.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
Aslan Pasha Mosque - Municipal Museum	Aslan Pasha Mosque, Greek: τζαμί Ασλάν Πασά)		Ioannina	1618		The core of a large Islamic religious-educational complex. Only the mosque, Mendreses (Seminary), Homonym Tourbes (mausoleum), and Mageiria (hearth and home) survive today. Mosque interior is preserved with beautiful Minbar (pulpit) and Mihrab (prayer niche). The museum collection includes artifacts from the era of Ali Pasha, bronze objects, and Islamic books.	[29]
	Faik Pasha Mosque		Arta	Mid or late 15th century	1881	It was probably erected on the site of a previous Byzantine church. After Arta's annexation in 1881, it briefly functioned as a church dedicated to Saint John the Russian. It was declared a preserved monument in 1938 and now is under repair works. It is not open for worship.
	Fethiye Mosque		Ioannina	1611		The original mosque was built in 1430, on the site of a church. It was extensively remodelled in 1795 by Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who made it the main mosque of his palace. The graves of Ali's family and of Ali himself are located before the mosque.	[30]
	Feyzullah Mosque		Arta	15th century (?)		One of the two surviving mosques in Arta, it was named after its founder, Feyzullah. Although it was declared a preserved archaeological site, it mostly lies in ruins, abandoned and neglected.	[31]
Kaloutsiani Mosque	Kanlı Çeşme Camii		Ioannina	1740	1913	It was built on the site of an earlier mosque. After Ioannina's annexation by Greece in 1913, it was closed as a mosque and used for a plethora of other purposes. It is currently undergoing renovation works.	[32]
Rokka Mosque			Arta	15th century?	after 1912	One of the eight mosques in and around Arta, like most of them it was completely demolished and no trace of it survives today.	[33]
	Sultan Mehmed Mosque		Arta	15th century?	Around 1881	Built on one of the most prominent locations of Arta, Sultan Mehmed Mosque no longer survives as it was destroyed shortly after Arta's liberation in 1881, one of the six mosques in Arta that were demolished.	[33]
	Veli Pasha Mosque		Ioannina	16th century	1913	Originally built by Veli Pasha of Ioannina on the site of a Byzantine church dedicated to Saint Stephen. Shortly after Greece's annexation of Ioannina in 1913, it was converted into a barracks. Today it houses the National Defense Museum of Ioannina	[34]

List of former mosques in the North and South Aegean

List of former mosques located in the Aegean Islands, the group of islands in the Aegean Sea between mainland Greece and Turkey, split between the North Aegean and South Aegean administrative regions.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
Eski Mosque	Bab Gedid Mosque, Yeni Kapı Mosque		Kos	1586 or 1777	1933	Built some years after the island's conquest, and quite possibly the oldest Ottoman monument in Kos. Was damaged badly during a 1933 earthquake and finally demolished two years later. Today only its minaret remains.	[35]
Bayrakli Mosque	Hamidiye Mosque		Chios	1892	1923	Built by order of Sultan Abdul Hamit II, as was the Osmaniye Mosque. It housed some refugee families after the population exchange. Used as a repair shop for electronics, it was renovated in 2018–2023.	[36]
Chios Byzantine Museum	Mecidiye Mosque		Chios	19th century	After 1923	The mosque served the Turkish community of the island of Chios before they were forced to leave during the population exchange. During the years 2006 to 2010 the museum underwent repair work, so it remained closed. The museum houses Christian and Byzantine sculptures in its yard, as well as exhibits from the Genoese and Ottoman periods.	[37]
	Hamza Bey Mosque		Rhodes	19th century	20th century	It is one of the smaller and simpler mosques on Rhodes. Today it is not open for worship, but has been restored.	[38]
Kastellorizo Folk Art Museum	Kavos Mosque		Kastellorizo	1775	1948	Originally built on the site of a Christian church, since 2007 it houses the Historical Collection of Kastellorizo, encompassing of several photographic and document material.	[39]
Loggia Mosque	Gazi Hasan Pasha Mosque		Kos	1776-1786	Mid 20th century	Located next to the legendary Tree of Hippocrates. Not to be confused with the similarly named Gazi Hasan Pasha Mosque which is also in Kos, and unlike this one, still open for worship.
	Mehmet Aga Mosque		Rhodes	1819	Mid 20th century	Built on one of the busiest streets of Rhodes. Remodelled and renovated several time since its erection, not open for worship.	[40]
	Murat Reis Mosque		Rhodes	1623	Mid 20th century	Built in honour of Ottoman admiral Murat Reis the Elder. Renovated several times in the past, though still in need of restoration.	[41]
	Mustafa Pasha Mosque		Rhodes	1764-5	Open on occasions	Built by Sultan Mustafa III, today the mosque is openly used as a wedding office for the Muslim community of the island.	[42]
	Osmaniye Mosque		Chios	1892	1923	The mosque was officially registered by Greek Ministry of Culture as a cultural landmark on January 21, 1983. In 1997, the mosque was repaired and renovated by the Greek government and made available for hosting exhibitions and various cultural events.	[43]
	Recep Pasha Mosque		Rhodes	1588		It has been left neglected in a ruinous state, as part after part collapsed, due to lack of funds. The portico and the minaret no longer survive.
Suleymaniye Museum	Suleymaniye Mosque		Rhodes	1808		Built on the site of an older mosque. It currently functions as a museum.	[40]
Valide Mosque	(Greek: Βαλιντέ Τζαμί)		Mytilene	1615		Located in Epano Skala which was a predominantly Turkish section within the port city of Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos Island. The mosque is a stone-built, one-story building with a marble staircase. Features a stone-paved front yard with a fountain embellished with engraved arabesques. The interior roof of the mosque used to be colorfully painted but the roof was painted brown after the Turks left the city.	[44]
	Yeni Mosque		Mytilene	c. 1825	after 1923	Located in Epano Skala like Valide Mosque, which was a predominantly Turkish section within the port city of Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos Island. After the population exchange, the Turkish community of Lesbos departed. The mosque was restored in 2011.

List of former mosques in Thessaly

List of former mosques in Thessaly administrative region near central Greece. The region was under the Ottoman controls for four and a half centuries, until 1881. As such many former mosques still remain intact.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
	Bayrakli Mosque		Larissa	15-16th Century	Late 19th century	The mosque is situated in the centre of the city. It means "mosque of the flag-bearer", apparently derived from the fact that its imam used to hoist a flag (bayrak) to give the signal for the other mosques to begin the call the faithful to prayer.	[45]
Elassona Mosque	Muharrem Pasha Mosque		Elassona	17th/18th century		For some time, the building was used to store parts of the Elassona archaeological collection.
	Osman Shah Mosque		Trikala	1550s		The mosque is no longer used for worship; it now functions as a venue for minor events and is a protected UNESCO site. It is the only work of Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan that lies in modern Greece.
	Yeni Mosque		Larissa	Before 1881	After 1924	Its exact date of construction, as well as its founder, are unknown, but the neoclassical decoration both on the exterior as well as in the interior point to sometime in the 19th century. It was the last of several mosques built in the city under Ottoman rule, whence its name. From the late 1950s until 2011 the building housed the Larissa Archaeological Museum.	[46][47]

List of former mosques in Western Greece and Peloponnese

List of former mosques in Western Greece and Peloponnese administrative regions.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
Ahmed III Mosque	Ahmet Pasha Mosque		Corinth	1715	1821	It was built by Sultan Ahmed III upon the recapture of Morea, hence the name. Although renovation works have taken place, it is mostly in a very poor condition.	[48]
Fethiye Mosque			Nafpaktos	1499		Situated on the waterfront near the eastern side of the port. Built by Ottoman Sultan Beyazid II shortly after the capture of Nafpaktos from the Venetians. Open only for occasional temporary exhibitions.	[49]
Monemvasia Mosque			Monemvasia	c. 1541	1830	The mosque was built shortly after the Ottoman conquest of the Morea in the sixteenth century. Shortly after the Greek War of Independence in 1821 it was used as a prison, and later as a cafe. Today it functions as a museum and houses the Archaeological Collection of Monemvasia.
Trianon Cinema	Trianon Mosque		Nafplio	1666-7 (?)	1823	It is a gray, stone building in the Syntagma Square. During the Greek War of Independence it was used as a school for orphaned children and it was used so for more than half a century. Today it functions as a cinema and an exhibitions hall.	[50]
Vouleftikon (English:Parliament)	Agha Pasha Mosque		Nafplio	1730		Mosque built as a gray stone building off the Nafplion Syntagma Square. After Greek take over, it housed the first Greek People's Assembly, which met here for the first time in 1825 and later even as a prison. It's now fully restored but open to the public only for concerts in the former main hall of the mosque. Connected to the mosque in the back is the Medrese (English: Madrasa) building which used to be a Turkish Islamic religious school.	[51]

List of former mosques in Western Macedonia

List of former mosques in Western Macedonia administrative region.

Current Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year Opened	Year Closed	Notes	Ref.
Kursum Mosque			Kastoria	16th century	1924	It served the Muslim community for centuries before Kastoria was annexed by Greece. The first library of Kastoria was housed inside the mosque for some years starting in 1925, then it became a warehouse of antiquities for many decades until recently. It is the only mosque of Kastoria that was not demolished, as all the others were.	[52]

Formerly converted non-Islamic buildings

List of former mosques in previously non-Islamic buildings, mostly churches, which have been converted back.

Previous Name	Mosque Name	Images	City	Year converted	Year reconverted	Notes
Acheiropoietos church	Eski Cami		Thessaloniki	1430	1912	Converted by order of Murad II himself, who conquered Thessaloniki in 1430.
Brontochion Monastery			Mystras	Late 15th century	1830
Hagia Sophia	Bey Camii		Drama	10th century	1913	Originally dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, it was renamed to Hagia Sophia ("holy wisdom") by Greek refugees from Turkey arriving in Drama following the population exchange.
Hagia Sophia	Ayasofya Camii		Mystras	Late 15th century	1830	Originally dedicated to Jesus Christ the Life Giver, was probably renamed after the Fall of Constantinople. World Heritage Site along with the rest of Mystras.
Hagia Sophia	Ayasofya Camii		Thessaloniki	1430	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Hagios Demetrios	Kasımiye Camii		Thessaloniki	1490	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. Hagios Demetrios is the largest church in Thessaloniki.
Hagios Spyridon	Kavaklı Camii		Rhodes	after 1522	mid 1900s	One of the several churches within the medieval town of Rhodes to become a mosque.[53]
Holy Apostles	Soğuksu Camii		Thessaloniki	c. 1520–1530	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Holy Trinity	Khan Zade Mascidi		Rhodes	c. 1522	1947	Originally dedicated to Archangel Michael.
Hosios David	Soluca Camii		Thessaloniki	after 1430	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Old Metropolis, Veria	Hünkar Camii		Veria	c. 1430	1912
Pammegistoi Taxiarches	İki Şerefiye Camii		Thessaloniki	after 1430	1912
Panagia Chalkeon	Kazancilar Camii		Thessaloniki	1430	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Panagia Hodegetria	Fethiye Camii		Monemvasia	c. 1540	1830	The most prominent church of Monemvasia. After Greece's independence, it was renamed to Hagia Sophia.
Panagia tou Kastrou	Enderun Camii		Rhodes	c. 1522	c. 1941	It was also converted into a Roman Catholic church during the Middle Ages.
Pantocrator church	Kursun Camii		Patras	Late 1500s	1821	Today on the site stands the larger new Pantocrator church of Patras.[54]
Parthenon	Parthenon mosque		Athens	before 15th century	1830	Before being converted to a mosque, it had functioned as the church of Panagia Atheniotissa. After its destruction in 1687, a smaller mosque was erected within the ruined shell. Now an archaeological site, part of the Acropolis of Athens UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Prophet Elijah	Saraylı Camii		Thessaloniki	1430	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Saint George	Suleyman Hortaci Effendi Camii		Thessaloniki	c. 1430	1912	Now the archaeological monument of Rotunda of Galerius, and part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Saint Catherine	Yakup Paşa Camii		Thessaloniki	between 1481 and 1512	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Saint Mark	Defterdar Ahmet Pasha Mosque		Heraklion	1669	1915	Originally a Roman Catholic church built during the Venetian rule of the island, it was converted into a mosque upon Ottoman conquest. In 1960 it opened again, but as an art gallery, instead of a church.
Saint Nicholas	Hünkar Mosque		Chania	17th century	1918	Only church in Greece with both a belltower and a minaret.
Saint Panteleimon	İshakiye Camii		Thessaloniki	1548	1912	Part of the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
Theotokos Kosmosoteira	Suleyman Pasha Camii		Feres	before 1433	1920

See also

• Greek Muslims
• Islam in Greece
• List of mosques in Greece
• List of the oldest mosques in the world