Pécs - Central Parish Church of St Mary

(Local Name: Dschami of Pasha Gasi Kassi) The center of Széchenyi tér is dominated by the Central Parish Church of St Mary (Dschami of Pasha Gasi Kassi); it was at one time the town's chief mosque, having been built by Pasha Kassim on the same site as and using the stones from an old Romanesque church of St Bartholomew. After the Turks withdrew the Jesuits renovated it in the Baroque style and used it as a church; in 1939-42 it was restored to its original condition and a semi-circular northwest porch was added and this is now the main entrance to the church. The Turkish dome construction is particularly impressive - the main structure, square in plan, is surmounted by a stalactite-vaulted roof followed by an octagonal tambour structure which in turn is topped by the 28m (92ft) high green dome. Note also the typical Islamic feature of the prayer-niche (mihrab) facing Mecca, on the south wall near the main entrance. The Islamic crescent can be seen shining below the cross on the green dome.