site.btaBulgaria's Oldest Functioning Mosque Is Located in Suvorovo

Bulgaria's oldest functioning mosque is located in the town of Suvorovo, Varna Region. Though it is unknown when exactly the mosque was built, the facts show it is about 470 to 500 years old, said Suvorovo Municipality Secretary Svetlana Eneva. She added that the building is in good condition as partial repairs were recently made and that services are held regularly in the mosque.

The mosque is believed to have been designed by the great architect Sinan, although there is no evidence of this, Eneva said. Several legends are associated with the mosque, passed down through time. According to one, the mosque was built on the site of an old church and for this reason its minaret fell several times during its construction. According to another legend, the construction of the mosque was the work of an Ottoman vizier who passed through the region on his way to war and promised the people that if he won the battle, he would build them a fountain, a mosque and an inn. He later fulfilled his promise, Eneva said.

There is also a large Orthodox church in Suvorovo named Ascension of Lord. It was built from 1928 to 1934 with money from local residents and rent from municipal land given for cultivation, Eneva also said.

Today, the town of Suvorovo has about 5,000 residents, with no depopulation registered in recent years. Because of its proximity to Varna, young families are settling both in the town and in the surrounding villages, said Eneva. In the municipal centre there are two secondary schools, a kindergarten, doctors' offices and pharmacies. The main livelihood is grain production and viticulture.