Downtown Candlemas Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary
| Downtown Candlemas Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
|---|---|
| Belvárosi Gyertyaszentelő Boldogasszony-templom | |
The church with the Holy Trinity statue (1714) and the John Hunyadi statue (1956) | |
| 46°4′37″N 18°13′41″E / 46.07694°N 18.22806°E | |
| Location | Pécs |
| Country | Hungary |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Previous denomination | Islam |
| Churchmanship | Latin |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Mosque of Pasha Qasim |
| Status | |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Mosque architecture |
| Style | Ottoman architecture |
| Completed |
|
| Specifications | |
| Length | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Width | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Height | 23 m (75 ft) |
| Number of domes | One |
| Number of towers | One minaret (destroyed in 1766) |
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The Downtown Candlemas Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Hungarian: Belvárosi Gyertyaszentelő Boldogasszony-templom), formerly known as the Mosque of Pasha Qasim (Hungarian: Gázi Kászim pasa dzsámija, Turkish: Gazi Kasım Paşa Camii) is a Catholic church in Pécs, Hungary, which was a mosque in the 16–17th century due to the Ottoman conquest. It is one of the symbols of the city, located in the downtown, on the main square (Széchenyi square). The current building, a hundred steps in length and in width, was built by Pasha Qasim the Victorious between 1543 and 1546. The mosque was converted into a church in 1702, after Habsburg-Hungarian troops reconquered the city. The minaret was destroyed by the Jesuits in 1766. One of the largest Ottoman constructions remaining in Hungary, the building still retains many Turkish architectural characteristics.