Defterdar Mosque: A Testament to Ottoman Heritage in Kos

The Defterdar Mosque, also known as the Nefterdar Mosque, is located in Eleftherias Square, the central hub of Kos Town. Constructed towards the end of the 18th century, around 1780 or 1786, by Ibrahim Efendi, the Ottoman Sultan's Minister of Finance (Defterdar), the mosque exemplifies Islamic architecture. The title “defterdar” was given to the highest-ranking economic officials of the Ottoman administration. The mosque is a two-story cubical structure distinguished by an octagonal dome supported by twelve arches. The building is constructed with hewn ashlars, featuring larger stones on the ground floor and smaller ones on the first floor. Two staircases on the eastern and western sides lead to the narthex, with the eastern staircase, once used by officials, featuring a vaulted cover. Inside, eight columns support the structure, while walls are adorned with circular frames bearing inscriptions from the Koran. On the north side of the main hall, there is a wooden gynaikonitis, a traditional women's quarter. The mihrab and minbar are located on the south side. A minaret stands on the western side, and nearby, an octagonal marble fountain with a domed roof rests on six arches. Historical records indicate that there were as many as 17 Ottoman mosques on Kos in 1886, with five still visible today. The Defterdar Mosque has faced challenges, including significant damage from earthquakes in 1926, 1933 and more recently in 2017. The minaret collapsed during the 2017 earthquake. Restoration efforts were carried out by the Italians during their occupation of the Dodecanese islands between 1912 and 1930. According to local tradition, the mosque may have been built on the site of a former Christian church dedicated to Saint Paraskevi. The ground floor, divided into smaller areas with street exits, once served as ancillary rooms and later housed shops from the early 20th century until the 2017 earthquake.