The Lead Mosque in Shkodër was built in 1773, commissioned by Mehmed Bushati, vizier of the Pashalik of Scutari, who oversaw construction from his residence at Rozafa Castle. Unlike most Albanian mosques, which follow Arab architecture, it is Ottoman in style and closely resembles the Classical Ottoman mosques of Istanbul.
Its name comes from its lead-covered cupolas. It has one main dome, many smaller domes and one minaret, and its hewn stones of nearly uniform size came from the village of Gur i Zi. The lead was later stolen or removed, and the Austrian army took the rest in 1916.
The minaret was rebuilt in 1920 and destroyed in 1967. The mosque survived the communist-era destruction of many mosques, likely because of its heritage designation, and reopened on November 16, 1990.
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