Trianon Mosque
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Mosque (1540s–1687)
- Church (1687–1715)
- Mosque (1715–1820s)
- Profane use
(since 1823– )
- Abandoned
(as a mosque) - Repurposed
(as a cinema)
| Trianon Mosque | |
|---|---|
Τζαμί Τριανόν | |
 The former mosque in 2016, as a cinema | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status |
|
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Nafplio, Argolis, Peloponnese |
| Country | Greece |
  Location of the former mosque in Greece | |
 Interactive map of Trianon Mosque | |
| Coordinates | 37°33′57″N 22°47′51″E / 37.56583°N 22.79750°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Ottoman |
| Founder | Aga Pasha |
| Completed | c. 1540s |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | 1 |
| Minaret | 1 (destroyed) |
| Materials | Stone; brick |
The Trianon Mosque (Greek: Τζαμί Τριανόν), also known as the Old Mosque (Greek: Παλαιό Τζαμί) is a former mosque in the town of Nafplio, in the Peloponnese region of Greece.
Completed in the 16th century, during the Ottoman era, it is the oldest surviving example of Ottoman architecture in Nafplion. During the Ottoman rule it was located in the Grand Vizier's quarter or the quarter of Sultan Ahmed, in the center of the town's market.[1] The building was subsequently repurposed for profane use from c. 1823, including as a cinema and for cultural use.
The mosque was constructed towards the end of the sixteenth century, or perhaps shortly before 1666-1667,[2] during the first period of the Ottoman era in the Peloponnese. When the Venetians took over the Peloponnese in 1687, it was converted into a church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, but it was reconsecrated as a mosque upon the Ottoman reconquest in 1715.[3]
During the first years of the Greek War of Independence, in c. 1823, it was used for profane purposes, including to house the Charitable Society of Nafplio, which tended to the poor, the sick, and children orphaned during the war, as well as educate these children.[4] Upon Greece's independence in 1830, it was converted into a mutual-teaching school for poor families (a type of school where older students teach the younger ones); the first governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, further enforced the institution on his own expense.[3][4]
King Otto of Greece abolished the mutual-teaching type school, and established instead state-sponsored schools in their place. For 53 years, from 1831 to 1884, the former Trianon Mosque functioned as a school before it was closed due to health concerns.[3][4][5] For some years it worked as the Nafplio Magistrate's Court as well as the town's metropolitan church. In 1893 it was renovated and turned into a conservatory and a theater,[5] and then in 1937 it was turned into the Trianon municipal cinema, by which name the former mosque is known to the residents of Nafplio today.[6] Since 1993 it has been the seat of the Municipal Theater of Nafplio, while it is also used for cultural events and exhibitions.[3][4] It is one of Nafplio's smallest cinemas[5] which sometimes shows adult films.[7]
