Emperor's mosque is one of the first mosques
built in BiH and the first one built in Sarajevo.
It was constructed in 1462 year, financed and
enabled by founder of Sarajevo Isa Bey
Ishakovic. This mosque was burnt in 1480,
whendespot Vuk Grgurevic broke in with
army from Jajce and burnt Sarajevo.
On the same place, the mosque was constructed
again (some people say that it was constructed
again from its foundation and some believe that
only dome of the mosque was burnt and
constructed again) in 1566, but this time it was
financed by Sulejman the Magnificent.

During that period, chief architect of the Empire was Mi‘mar Sinan and it is believed that
construction of this mosque was realized by one of his students or collaborators. This is central
type of mosque with three-side porch. The porches were left on three sides because great
number of people is coming to mosque during a prayer. Two side-porches were walled in and
transformed into side-premises. Central dome has a form of semicircle in section, typically for
the period of Ottoman architecture.

During art-conservation works by the end of past century (1980 or 1990),
partially restored four layers of wall decoration from 16th, 18th and
beginning of 19th centuries were revealed. Octagonal minaret represents one
of the most beautiful minarets in BiH. Precious tombstones, founded in the
period between 15th and 19th centuries, are settled in cemetery behind the
mosque. Pair of archaic tombstones behind mihrab are probably a grave of
Isa-bey Ishakovic. In 1912 year, Karl Parzik projected building of Majlis,
respecting module and using elements of construction of Bosnian houses, and
successfully incorporated in the ensemble with the Emperor's mosque.