Mosque of Pasha Qasim
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
Listen
Transcript
The domed building dominating Széchenyi Square was built as a mosque under Ottoman rule, traditionally associated with Pasha Qasim.
After Habsburg forces retook Pécs in 1686, the building was converted to Catholic use. Its minaret was removed, while the large dome and substantial Ottoman fabric survived.
Today it functions as the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary while retaining visible Islamic architectural elements.
This is not a symbol of effortless religious harmony. It is the material result of conquest followed by appropriation.
Yet the building’s survival also means Ottoman Pécs cannot be edited out of the city centre.
Few churches make their previous institutional identity quite so architecturally obvious. The dome refuses to change the subject.