Edi Rama wishes this Saturday, with the Lead Mosque, this masterpiece of our cultural heritage

In a warm congratulations on this spring Saturday, Prime Minister Edi Rama has shared with his followers a picture that is not only a postcard, but a vibrant hug with the cultural heritage of Albanians: Lead Mosque in Shkodra.

This rare monument of the Albanian Ottoman architecture, one of the most beautiful in our lands, has returned to the former glory after decades in the mud of forgetfulness and repeated floods. Today, after a dedicated and sensitive restoration to authenticity, it rises strongly, with its domes that illuminate as symbols of peace, near the castle of Rozafa, where history intertwines with legend.

Built in the middle of the XVIII century by Mehmet Pasha Bushati, the Lead Mosque represents one of the most important monuments of the Muslim cult in Albania, distinguished for the harmony of form, the elegance of size and the fact that it was built entirely by stones. Its name comes from lead plates that once covered the roof and domes, giving it a special glitter under the light of the Sun Shkodra.

After decades of flooding, which was shaded and muddy, this work has been resurrected. Now, it is no longer just a cult building, but a testament to the consistency of our heritage, a sign of coexistence and a reference point for the identity of Shkodra.

« The lead mosque speaks not only of religion, but about the patience of stone, the memory of the city, the charm that resists even when everything else is digested. »

With its restoration, the city of Shkodra acquires not only one of the most representative monuments of its history, but also a space of peace, meditation and inspiration for generations to come.

Albert Vataj