UNMIK ON AIR

“Building Minarets”

12th of February 2004

(By Valon A. Syla)

 

 

SLUG: It may be the 21 century… but Azem Gollopeni, an Albanian builder of minarets, still uses 16th century methods.

 

Link: If you are traveling around Kosovo and happen to see an old man building a minaret…all the while scaling it without the assistance of any scaffolding…then in all likelihood you have encountered one of the best known minaret builders in the Balkans and abroad, Azem Gollopeni…

 

Hello and Welcome to UNMIK on Air…

 

Watching Azem Gollopeni, fourteen meters up in the air, on the outside of one of his minarets putting the finishing touches on a balcony, has the tendency to make most observers uneasy… and gives the impression one has stepped back in time.  

Is it the sixteenth century?  

You can ask the 73-year-old man yourself…he is often spotted standing with his two sons high up in the air on a board tied together with only a few ropes to maintain their balance….

 

 

(Wind atmosphere)

 

Today, Gollopeni is extra cautious, praying that the wind will not blow too strongly while he is working....

Gollopeni steps slowly from the minaret explaining that the wind rarely interferes with his work: 

 

Gollopeni – “Until the wind stopped we could not work, 12 meters height it is needed to stand only on one board, this is most difficult part of building minarets, most dangerous, the board can sway as much as 3 or 4 centimeters when its windy.”

 

 

Braving the elements in 16th century fashion while hard at work may make many uneasy, but Gallopeni says he only uses 16th century construction methods and technology…

 

When approaching one of Gollopeni’s minarets, many wonder how his 16th century methods can achieve its trademark elasticity that has, in the past, spared his minarets from earthquakes.

 

Gollopeni does not divulge his methods to the curious passerby, but does acknowledge that his skill is self-taught.  When he was younger Gollopeni says he used to build schools and houses…describing how one day his life had changed when he watched in fascination for the first time the construction of a minaret.  By observation, he invented his own method of building, combined with primitive technology and decided to devote his skill to his newfound passion-- building minarets.

 

 (Building Sound)

 

As Gollopeni’s minaret building career took off, he soon had many admirers of his work…Gollopeni takes pride in each of his minarets, but namely he reserves his greatest praise for what he describes his masterpiece:  “The Minaret of Landovica:”

 

 Gollopeni: “Mostly I like the Mosque of Landovica, because it has two balconies… that’s the reason, I make them all, I have built minarets all around Kosovo, and currently have contracted another four, one is in the village of Bradasale, the Arabs sent us, with the people we don’t have any agreement, Arabs are paying, 1000 € per meter to build”

 

Gollopeni has built over 40 minarets all around Kosovo during the last 50 years.   Today his two sons help him with his work, learning the secrets of the trade from their father:

  

 

Gollopeni  “It took me 47 days for this minaret that is long, 48 meters tall and both of my sons have helped me to built it. I can build a minaret as tall as 70 – 80 meters, I’m not afraid of the height no matter how tall the minaret will be… what is important is the building material which needs to be strong.”

 

(the call for prayer All’ahu Ek’ ber)

 

 

According to Sabri Bajgora Head-Imam of the Kosovan Islamic Union, the minaret is a fairly recent addition to the Muslim world…

The minaret became a material symbol of Islam when Muslim believers in the seventh century dedicated for the call to prayer.  Soon, Muslims devised a unique structure to standout amongst the bell towers associated with the Catholic faith, and the Synagogues for Jewish believers, says Head-Imam Bajgora:

 

Sabri Bajgora - “The first mosque was built after the migration of the prophet Mohammed from Mek’ka to Medina, this is one of the holy mosques. In the beginning this building had only four walls, without a roof and minaret. (Edit) After two years it was a need to call and inform believers for the time of prayer. And so the Muslims agreed that a voice of a human should call them.

 

Imam Sabri Bajgora says the incident in which the first man raised his voice in what is now known as the Call to Prayer:  was a black man, Bilal- a slave who had won his freedom. Bilal climbed the walls of the prophet’s mosque in Medina and called out in prayer.  During that time minarets did not exist…but as the number of believers began to grow, some sort of a herald was necessary to alert Muslims of the holy time for prayer:

Again Imam Sabri Bajgora:

 

Bajgora – “The main reason of building minarets in the very beginning was to inform believers who were living in far away neighborhoods… and to achieve this, it was needed to call the voice from a high position.”

 

Minarets started to appear in big cities like Medina in Middle East, in north and east Africa and later in Balkans and Central Europe. Some were built with as many as 3 balconies like in Istanbul to accommodate up to 3 Muezzins--  the singers of the prayer--  to reach greater distances in an age where there was no amplified sound.

The architectural styles of minarets vary and often it is the local population which influences its style.   Even so, the most common type of minarets in the world are Arabic, Egyptian, and Indian…not to forget the Ottoman minarets, widely recognized as the most beautiful in the world with its conic style.

 

(Atmosphere of inside mosque clerics singing)

 

In the 15-century an Albanian architect Mimar Sinani was hired by the Ottoman sultan to design this style of architecture… says head-imam Bajgora.

 

Bajgora:“The main proof for this is the Grand Mosque in Istanbul with 6 minarets, and this is a master piece of the Albanian architect which is widely known as Mimar Sinani or Architect Sinani. This style than was transferred to Kosovo with the presence of Turks, and anywhere in Kosovo we can notice this type of minarets some were higher and some were lower.”

 

(the call for prayer All’ahu Ek’ ber)

 

 Bajgora: “The aim of the minaret is twofold. The material aim was to call people to pray, but the spiritual aim of it is the height--  which symbolizes the approach towards heaven, and it raises people from the material world up to a higher space closer to God.”

 

Today, Azem Gollopeni continues to work alongside his sons who are learning the craft from him… it may be a dying art, that Gollopeni keeps secret, but his work can be appreciated for centuries to come….

 

This was all for today edition of UNMIK on air, thanks for listening.