Modern Sacred Architecture
Šerefudin’s White Mosque
Visoko · Central Bosnia
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Modern Sacred Architecture
- COUNTRY
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- REGION
- Visoko · Central Bosnia
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Šerefudin’s White Mosque is a major work of modern sacred architecture in Visoko, distinct from the older Tabhana Mosque in the čaršija. The present mosque is the result of a redesign by the Bosnian architect Zlatko Ugljen, completed in the second half of the 20th century, and it was recognised through the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the quality of its contemporary religious design. The building is read as a modern interpretation of the mosque that respects its liturgical function while expressing a confident contemporary architectural language, and it stands as one of the most significant modern religious buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not the same building as the Tabhana Mosque, which belongs to the Ottoman craft quarter; the two should not be confused. Šerefudin’s is an active place of worship, and a responsible visit treats it first as a working religious space and only second as an architectural landmark.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
A mosque has stood on this site in Visoko across several periods, but the building that gives Šerefudin’s its present identity is the redesign carried out by the Bosnian architect Zlatko Ugljen. Ugljen, a significant figure in modern Bosnian architecture, reworked the mosque into a contemporary sacred building that was completed in the second half of the 20th century, and the project was later recognised through the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the distinction of its modern religious design. The redesign is read as a deliberate contemporary interpretation of the mosque rather than a reconstruction of an earlier building, and it places Visoko within the wider story of modern Islamic architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The specific dates, construction phases and award details should be confirmed through current scholarly or institutional sources rather than stated here as fixed facts, and the building is presented as an active place of worship whose contemporary architectural significance is widely acknowledged.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The contemporary architectural design — Zlatko Ugljen’s modern reinterpretation of the mosque, recognised through the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
The distinction from the Tabhana Mosque — Šerefudin’s as the modern sacred building, separate from the older Ottoman mosque in the čaršija.
The active place of worship — the building read first as a working religious space, with respectful, modest and quiet visiting.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Šerefudin’s White Mosque is Visoko’s most significant modern religious building, and it places the town within the story of contemporary sacred architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For a visitor it is the place to read the modern architectural layer of Visoko, clearly distinguished from the Ottoman Tabhana Mosque and approached with the respect due to an active place of worship.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Šerefudin’s White Mosque
Šerefudin’s White Mosque, Visoko, Central Bosnia, Bosnia & Herzegovina
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Visoko
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Small everyday Bosnian cafés and bakeries in the čaršija and town centre — check current opening locally, as services in a small town can be limited and seasonal
Nearby towns on the approaches to Visoko for a wider choice of everyday cooking; check current options locally
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Small accommodation in and around Visoko for visitors with their own transport; check availability and booking directly with the operator
Sarajevo as a nearby base for a day visit to Visoko; check current options locally
ITINERARIES
Day-by-day routes
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