Fodor's Expert Review Osman Pazvantoglu Mosque and Library

Vidin Library/Archive

Built by an Osman Pazvantoglu, an Ottoman soldier who rebelled against them and became governor of Vidin, this mosque and library date from 1800. The small square library is made of stone with a metal dome and was dedicated to Pazvantoglu's late mother. The high-ceilinged mosque is also made of stone and filled with carved wooden furniture, with a wooden balcony for women. There is some debate about to whom the mosque is dedicated; some say it's to Pazvantoglu's late father, but others say it's to his lover, a Bulgarian Christian. Anyone is welcome to visit and take photographs, and there's a small area where books are sold. Women should cover their heads.

Library/Archive Religious Building/Site/Shrine

Quick Facts

Ul. Osman Pazvantoglu
Vidin, 3703, Bulgaria

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