The Lejlek Mosque in central Novi Pazar
Cultural Heritage

Lejlek Mosque

A 15th-century mosque that takes its name from the storks which nested at the top of its minaret.

Photo: The Lejlek Mosque in central Novi Pazar · Miomir Magdevski / CC BY-SA 4.0

Storks on the minaret

The mosque's name comes from the Turkish word for stork: the birds nested at the top of the minaret for years, and the town named the building after them. The structure dates from the 15th century and is among the oldest mosques in Sandžak.

It stands in the very centre of town, a short walk from both the fortress and the bazaar, so it fits easily into a walk through the old core.

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