Saint Mary's Church (Serbo-Croatian:Crkva svete Marije), laterSultan Suleiman's Mosque (Sultan-Sulejmanova džamija/ Султан-Сулејманова џамија) orFethija (Фетхија, from the Turkish wordfethetti, meaning "conquered"), was a place of worship inJajce,Bosnia and Herzegovina. Along with the remnants of the adjoiningSaint Luke's Bell Tower (Zvonik svetog Luke/Звоник светог Луке), it is anational monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The buildings are located in the historic centre of the city of Jajce, at the foot of the citadel.
The building has undergone a series of redesigns, which makes difficult establishing its age and the original appearance with certainty. It is assumed that the church was first built as a simpleRomanesque-style basilica in the 12th century.[1] It had deteriorated significantly by the end of the 14th century, when it was restored and dedicated to theBlessed Virgin Mary. It is not clear who commissioned the restoration of the building; circumstantial evidence points to either the Franciscans who had settled in the area or, somewhat less likely, toHrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, theKingdom of Bosnia's leading magnate and founder of the city ofJajce.[2]
The church was re-adapted to the more popularGothic style in the early 15th century, after thekings of Bosnia acquired Jajce in connection toKing Ostoja's marriage to Hrvoje's widow,Jelena Nelipić.[1][2][3] The survivingfrescos, dating from the first half of the 15th century, are typical of theLate Gothic art; the most significantcomposition depicted theLast Judgment, a common theme in contemporary Europe.[1]
Following hisloss of Serbia to the Ottomans in 1459,King Thomas's son,Stephen, returned to Bosnia with his wifeMaria, and her family. Maria brought along the relics ofLuke the Evangelist, and abell tower, bearing the saint's name, was erected next to the church.[2] On 17 November 1461, the church served as the place ofcoronation of King Stephen; it was the last coronation in Bosnia.[1][4] TheOttoman conquest of Bosnia took place two years later, commencing the centuries-long Ottoman rule over Bosnia. King Stephen was executed in the process, while Queen Maria took the relics and sold them to theRepublic of Venice.[2]
In 1528, Saint Mary's Church was converted into a mosque and named after the Ottoman sultanSuleiman the Magnificent.[5] The building burned on several occasions. The most devastating fire occurred in 1658. The last fire, in 1832, left behind nothing but walls, and the building has not been used since.[1]
| Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republika Srpska |
| ||||||||||
| Former | |||||||||||
| Province of Sarajevo |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Other | ||
| Former dioceses | ||
| Cathedrals | ||
| Relations | ||
| See also | ||
44°20′22″N17°16′08″E / 44.3394°N 17.2690°E /44.3394; 17.2690
