The Great Mosque or New Mosque was commissioned by King Zog I in 1931 and was built on the site of an older Ottoman building. When it opened it  was the largest mosque in Albania. During Enver Hoxha’s regime the mosque was destroyed in 1967 and its minaret was torn down. Most other Ottoman-era historic mosques were also destroyed at this time. The building was then converted into a base for local youth groups until it was reopened as a Mosque again in 1993.

The building dominates Iliria Square, which is the main square in Durrës. The Mosque is also called Grand Mosque in order to distinguish it from the Little Mosque – the Ottoman-era Fatih Mosque.

Other names of Durrës Great Mosque

The Durrës Great Mosque has the following names: 'Great Mosque' (Xhamia e Madhe: Albanian), 'New Mosque' (Xhamia e Re: Albanian).