Berat · Mangalem · Albania

Old Town Berat

historic-quartermosqueneighbourhoodgoogle verified

easy

10/10

best: morning, late-afternoon

atmospheric, historic, quiet

A local would say...

Three Ottoman mosques in one small quarter, each with its own legend and a different view of the castle above.

The traditionally Muslim lower quarter of Berat contains three grand 16th-century mosques including the Sultan's Mosque and the Lead Mosque, whose sphere-shaped domes are capped in lead. The Bachelors' Mosque down by the Osumi River has enchanting paintings on its external walls. Wandering through Mangalem's cobblestone streets with the castle looming overhead and the multi-windowed houses reflected in the river is the essential Berat experience.