Down in the traditionally Muslim Mangalem quarter, there are three grand mosques. The 16th-century Sultan's Mosque (Xhamia e Mbretit) is one of the oldest in Albania. The Helveti teqe behind the mosque has a beautiful carved ceiling and was specially designed with acoustic holes to improve the quality of sound during meetings. The Helveti, like the Bektashi, are a dervish order, or brotherhood, of Muslim mystics.
The big mosque on the town square is the 16th-century Lead Mosque (Xhamia e Plumbit), so named because of the lead coating its sphere-shaped dome. The 19th-century Bachelors' Mosque (Xhamia e Beqarëvet) is down by the Osumi River; look for the enchanting paintings on its external walls. This mosque was built for unmarried shop assistants and junior craftsmen, and is perched between some fine Ottoman-era shopfronts along the river.
