E’them Bey Mosque has been a cultural monument of the first category since 1949 and is the only one among the 18th-19th century mosques built in Tirana that has survived the devastating storm of the communist regime on cult objects.
Despite the time, the mosque still retains the splendor of an attractive building. Its specialty lies in the decorations, where 700 square meters are all painted by free hand.
The building has been preserved to this day in its original state, without interventions that could have transformed its present appearance. It consists of the prayer hall, the portico to its north and east, and the minaret. Its architecture is part of the cultural tourism in Tirana and impresses you with the arches, the minaret, the many windows, the inner halls, the dome, the stairs and the gracefully painted facades.
Even the woodwork in the inner prayer halls is rich in ornamentation and highly stylized geometric shapes, reflecting elegance throughout the complex of the Islamic faith.
The portico is paved with stones that are believed to originate from the mountainous surroundings of Tirana. Stairs invisible from the outside lead up to the dominant gray-clad dome above the clay-tiled roof. During the evening hours, the dedicated lighting of the mosque creates a harmony of colors and interesting shapes in “Skënderbej” square, where the exterior drawings of this mosque can be seen with the naked eye.
