... it’s like being in the back seat of a car driven by a really smart kangaroo. He may go up on the curb a couple of times, but he’ll get you there.
Two and a Half Men, “Golly Moses, She’s a Muffin”, S3 E19, april 2006.
I apologize to the ladies and gentlemen of the Official Gazette of Montenegro, as well as to the readers - because in last Saturday's text (Through the desert and the jungle...) claimed that in the SLCG - Municipal Regulations - No. 01/09 of January 15, 2009 - there is no Decision on the adoption of the DUP "Bečići" - which is not true - the Decision is there - on pages 21 and 22 - but it is not given in the contents of issue 01/09, on the right side - which led me to the wrong conclusion - so that, in the end, I would still list issue 01/09 in order - 62 pages - and on page 21: Voilà! - with the remark that the SLCG search engine does not return the aforementioned Decision when searching for "Bečići" - but I don't want to drag it out...
At the address "gov.me/clanak/idejna-rjesenja-2025" I still can't find the conceptual solution on which it was based. Slavenova The assistant for architectural work, a lady whose name (and surname) I can't remember, gave consent to the business entity Bonila doo Budva, and Vesna Becic i Luka Becic in Bečići - Municipality of Budva - they are building a "tourist facility - apartment block of category 3***" (92 apartments and 97 parking spaces).
***
But, where did we stop...
Ah, yes, the Hadrović Mosque in Durres, in Podgorica...
Who says (who is lying) that in Montenegro - which is large, but not large - there is no architectural criticism...
In that name, it was not difficult for me to go to Durres and verify the Hadrović Mosque on the spot - from the street - with a possible tour of the interior, if the opportunity arose - which was not possible...
They told me (some of my friends) that there is no problem for a non-Muslim (atheist, specifically) to enter a mosque, but that it is also not a bad idea to notify the muezzin, in order to prevent any possible misunderstandings, right...
***
"Time and the founder of the Hadrović Mosque," it says Sabovic - Kerovic, Mrs. Igbala, “are not known (which doesn't surprise us at all, is it - ed.). According to location in the city structure (in the structure of the Ottoman kasaba - ed.), could have been built from the end (sic - skraja - op.a.) 17th century, at the latest by the middle of the 18th century. In the vakuf defter of the Istanbul Archives (probably to the vakuf defter stored in the Archives in Istanbul - Igbala does not say when the defter was created - note.) is called Bey's (Beyler camii) and Alajbeg's (Alay Beyi), (although it is not clear whether it is a mosque called Bey's and Alajbeg's - or is it Bey's mosque or Alajbeg's mosque - ed.) so by title, but without the proper name of the founder and the year of construction. (...) During the bombing of Podgorica in 1941, it was damaged and has been exposed to decay since then. It was in use until 1956 (Suffice it to say that the mosque was in function - ed.), when it was demolished under unknown circumstances.
However, if it weren't for Mrs. Igbala - who had no difficulty combing through all the Turkish defters and all other available sources - and very meticulously - it is unlikely that we would know today even the little we do about the physical structure, or rather the urban forms of Podgorica from the period of Ottoman rule - and just to verify those circumstances, regarding the demolition of the Hadrović Mosque, there is certainly a record of it somewhere - and our happiness will have no end...
Again, I am afraid that we can hardly build any realistic ideas about the urban structure of Podgorica and the architectural forms of Podgorica in the period from the end of the 17th century to the middle of the 18th century based on existing, or rather available sources - what is quite certain is that at that very time (after the second siege of Vienna in 1683 - and the defeat of the Ottomans) - the decline of the Ottoman Empire slowly began - and the splendor and luxury - with all due respect to tradition and to all who inherit the local Ottoman tradition - the Ottoman segment of our tradition, more precisely - I can imagine in Shkodra - and as for Podgorica - it is easier for me to imagine a gray and dusty town on the ever-restless border - and the congregation, of course, building a mosque - because I would agree with Ms. Igbal that it was precisely the mosques that indicated the directions of development - expansion - of Ottoman Podgorica - the construction of houses and the formation of mahalas was, quite certainly, accompanied by the construction of mosques - both inside and outside the walls...
***
The construction of the new Hadrović Mosque in Podgorica began on January 31, 2023 - exactly on the site of the demolished mosque - and the first call to prayer from the minaret of the new mosque was heard on Friday, October 25, 2024. A ceremonial opening was held that day - in the presence of high-ranking guests, especially representatives of the Islamic Community, among whom was Mrs. Injac, the mayor of Podgorica at the time.
I must emphasize, before I say (more) a few words about the new Hadrović Mosque - that the author - Prof. Dr. Rifat R. Alihodžić, B.A. in Architecture - World-renowned Architect - Bjelopoljski Le Corbusier - he did not officially take a single cent for the preparation of the conceptual design and main design of the mosque - which is a valuable charity - and a great act of kindness for Mr. Alihodžić - so I was surprised, to say the least, that in the photographs from the opening of the mosque (gradski.me) I did not manage to notice Mr. Alihodžić among the highest dignitaries, despite the wholehearted efforts I made...
Looks like I'll have to work on that some more...
***
OK, let's go in order...
Let's start with the fact that the main entrance to the new mosque faces northwest - towards the city - towards the city center - and that it is given very explicitly - perhaps even a little too explicitly - which should rather refer to the height - two floors - than to the design - unlike the entrances to the other two Podgorica mosques - the entrance to the Skender Čauševa - or Doganjska mosque - and the entrance to the Osmanagić mosque - which are not visible from the outside.
The lower line of the main entrance to the Hadrovića Mosque, if you ask me, is definitely set too high - that line is at the eye level of passersby, approximately, as viewed from Slobodan Škerovića Street (or is it Omera Abdovića Street?) in the southeast direction - but if we take into account that the lower line of the qibla wall, or mihrab, is at ground level on that southeast side - which is to say that the ground floor is on one level - which I certainly applaud - and that this mosque is located in Durres, in Podgorica, and not in Istanbul (on the Bosphorus) - then I guess that's OK - because otherwise - in case it was decided to lower the elevation of the main entrance - by a few steps - we would have a "break" of a few steps - most likely between the men's ablution room and the area where people pray.
And since we know that "there is no prayer without ablution" - or, in other words, that it is not a valid prayer for someone who has not performed ablution - then it is not surprising, in the least, that right behind the magnificent main entrance, the world-renowned architect located an ablution room for men - complete with two toilets (WCs) - one immediately to the left of the entrance, the other immediately to the right of the entrance - in other words, symmetrically.
OK, looks like I'm done for today - to be continued in the next issue...
Bonus video:
