Hamza Bey Mosque

At the bustling intersection of Egnatia and Venizelou streets stands the Hamza Bey Mosque, a monumental landmark that marks the very beginning of the Ottoman era in Thessaloniki. Built in 1467, it holds the distinction of being…

The Hamza Bey Mosque occupies a prominent position on Egnatia Street, the ancient Roman road that has served as the city's main thoroughfare for two millennia. Its location was strategically chosen to assert the presence of the…

One of the most impressive features of the Hamza Bey Mosque is its large peristyle courtyard, added during the 17th-century expansion. This courtyard is surrounded by an arcade of columns, many of which were salvaged from older…

The interior of the Hamza Bey Mosque is a masterclass in early Ottoman spatial design. The main prayer hall is a large, square space covered by a lead-clad dome that sits upon a high octagonal drum. …

Perhaps the most fascinating and ironic period in the history of the Hamza Bey Mosque is its nearly century-long tenure as the Alcazar cinema. After the population exchange in the 1920s, many Ottoman buildings in Thessaloniki…

The history of the Hamza Bey Mosque is also a history of survival against the natural forces of the earth. Thessaloniki sits in a seismically active zone, and the mosque has been damaged by major earthquakes multiple times,…

In recent years, the Hamza Bey Mosque has been the focus of one of the most significant restoration projects in Northern Greece. This effort coincided with the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro, which unearthed a wealth of…

As you move away from the Hamza Bey Mosque and re-enter the flow of modern traffic on Egnatia Street, take with you the story of this resilient monument. It is a building that has stood at the crossroads of faith and film,…