EN: This impressive building has a very colorful history. In 1933, the Croatian Art Society had an idea to build a monument to King Peter Karadjordjevic, but instead of a statue, they agreed to construct a building. The project was assigned to a very famous croatian sculptor and architect, Ivan Mestrovic, who finished the construction in 1938. The plan for it was to serve as a headquarters for croatian artists.
In 1941, it was decided to transform the building into a mosque ("Dzamija" is a croatian word for mosque). Three minarets, a fountain and some stairs were added, inside was modified according to the religious needs, and in 1944, it was officially opened as mosque.
This purpose did not last for long - after WW2 and the fall of NDH (Independent Croatian State) regime, communists come to power. They tear down the minarets, and turned the building into a museum of revolution and liberation.
Only after the fall of Yugoslavia, in 1993, the building is returned to its original purpose and owners - Croatian Association of Artists, who are still there today. Many exhibitions are regularly held inside, take a look!
The area near the fountain is also a home to Zagreb skaters, who can be seen here during dry weather. Although it served as a mosque only for a few short years, the name "Dzamija" stuck, and most of the Zagreb citizens know the building by this name.
HR: Ova impresivna zgrada ima vrlo zanimljivu povijest. 1933 godine, hrvatsko društvo umjetnika želi podići spomenik Petru I. Karađorđevicu, ali umjesto statue, odlučuju se za izgradnju Doma likovnih umjetnosti na Trgu kralja Petra. Za projekt je bio zadužen Ivan Mestrović, koji je zgradu i završio 1938. godine.
1941. godine je odlučeno da se zgrada pretvori u džamiju. Grade se tri minareta, fontana s vodoskokom, prilazne stepenice, a unutrašnjost se prilagođuje novoj namjeni, tako da je u zgradi 1944. godine svečano otvorena džamija.
Nova namjena nije bila dugog vijeka, jer nakon završetka Drugog svjetskog rata i sloma NDH, na vlast dolaze komunisti, koji ruše minarete, i pretvaraju zgradu u Muzej narodnog oslobođenja.
Tek 90-ih godina, nakon propasti Jugoslavije i komunizma, pokreće se inicijativa za povrat Doma umjetnicima, sto se i događa 1993. godine, tako da je danas zgrada Dom hrvatskog društva likovnih umjetnika, gdje se redovno organiziraju izložbe.
Na prostoru kraj fontane su dom nasli i zagrebački skejteri, koje se može vidjeti za suhog vremena. Iako je kao džamija funkcionirala samo tijekom par kratkih ratnih godina, ime je ostalo, pa zgradu mnogi gradjani Zagreba znaju pod imenom "Džamija".