Defterdar Mosque

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Overview

Ottoman prestige

Built in Eleftherias square, in one of the most central spots of Kos, Defterdar Mosque, was named after the Ottoman Sultan's Minister of Finance, Ibrahim Efendi, who built the mosque in 1780. Due to the significant earthquakes hitting Kos in 1926 and 1933, during which the monument was severely damaged, Italians performed extensive restoration work on the mosque. However, due to the enlarged wear, it had to be restored again during 2004 - 2005.

Defterdar Mosque served as a place of worship, while its ground floor was home to commercial and traditional coffee shops, until the 2017 earthquake hit again. The mosque was destroyed and the rest of the building is now out of use, awaiting to be brought back to life, once again.

Access

Easy to access on foot or by bicycle.

Need to know

The building and name of the monument is attributed to Ibrahim Efendi's, Sultan's Minister of Finance. The title “defterdar” was given to the highest ranking economic officials of the Ottoman administration. Chronologically, it probably dates back to the same period as the mosque of Gazi Hassan Passa, located in Platani.