Banya Bashi Mosque is the only preserved and functioning medieval mosque in Sofia. It is the work of the most distinguished Ottoman architect Sinan, who designed nearly 300 buildings in his lifetime. The mosque was part of a larger bath complex, hence its name. The inscription on the stone arch at the entrance to the mosque suggests that it was built in 974 (Muslim calendar) or 1566-1567 (Gregorian calendar). The building has a large prayer hall – for men, and a gallery accessible to women. According to the seventeenth-century traveller Evliya Çelebi, the minaret is particularly impressive because of its exquisite workmanship.

#sоSofia tip: It is compulsory to be barefoot when entering the temple. You can leave your shoes on the shelf at the entrance. Women must enter with their head covered.