Croats came in contact with Muslims through the sea way. The Islamic fleet entered the Adriatic Sea for the first time in 835. There is evidence that the Muslim navigators gave the name to the Kornat Islands (Croatian islands - National sea park) after the city of Ganada (Spain) wich on the arabic language is called Karnata.

Among the best known Croats which enriched the Islamic state before the appearence of the Ottomans is the founder of the egyptian capital Cairo and the oldest univesity in the world El-Azhar, known under the Islamic name Dzevher Sakalli Saklebi, and in Croatia known as Blaž Vodopić. Caliph El-Muizzu Billahi of the Fatimi dynasty perceived the military talent of Dzevher and decided to send the army in the year 969 under the command of Dzevher to conquer Egypt. Dzevher (arabic: jewel) succesfully fullfiled this task and made the fundament for a new city and gave him the name El-Kahira (Cairo), and built a Mosque which he named El-Ezher (arabic: the rose above all roses).
The great Arabic cartographer El-Idrisi (1099-1166) traveled through the teritories of todays Croatia. He was the first cartographer and travel writer who named Croatia with its name, El-Dzevrsija.

In the era of the caliph Abdurrahman En-Nasir, from the dynasty Ben Umejje, in Spain the Slavs were represented in a great number. The complete personal Guard, numbering about one thousand soldiers was completely slavic. The two commanders of the Guard Dzevher and Faik were also Slavs. The builder of the most famous Mosque in Cordoba - Spain was also a Slav by the name Dzafer Saklebi.
The most famous seafarer in the Mediterranean Sea was Mudzahid. The italians called him Mogeto. During his time no one dared to voyage in the Mediterranean without his permission. He is the first one in the world who carried the navy rang „Admiral“ wich in arabic is written Emirul-bahr. There are assertions that Mudzahid was born in Kotor.

One of the greatest military commanders in Spain, during the dictature of El-Mansour, was a Slav by the name Galib.
One of the greatest scientists, in origin a Croat, was Abdurrahman Saklebi. He wrote the book with the title „El-istizharu vel mugaleba limen enkere fedailus-sakalibe“ (Undeniable are the deserves of the Slavs).
In the 10.,11. and 12th Century, the first Muslims, called Ismailities and Kalizies, by invitation of the hungarian grand landlords, were populating continental Croatia.
In the croatian city Osijek Muslims are mentionend in the year 1196.
Among the pirats from Omiš which are known outside the boarders of Croatia and the Mediterranean Sea in the 12. Century, there were also Muslims. One of them by the name Melduk, son of a Saracen, was ruling in the 12. Century over the area between the rivers Krka and Zrmanja.

When the Ottomans pervaded into the Balcans, they conquered also the two Croatian provinces Slavonia and Lika. In these two provinces Muslims from all Ottoman provinces came to live. During the 150 years duration of the Ottoman rule in Slavonia and Lika there were built 117 mosques.

1908 Anexy of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. This ment the contact and the vigilant introduction of the two different religious civilisations, the Islamic-oriental and the Christian-western.

1914 - 1918 During World War I the immigration of Muslims to Croatia raised significantly due to various reasons, but mostly because of the military obligations they had serving in the Empire Austrian army.

April 27th, 1916 The parliament Sabor of the Kingdom Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia issues the law - „Law of recognition of Islam as the equal religion to all other religions“.

1987 On the 6th of september the Zagreb Mosque -Islamic Center was opened.

1992 The Islamic Gymnasium „Dr. Ahmed Smajlović“ in Zagreb started with its work.

2002 December 20th, Contract between the Government of Croatia and the Islamic Community of Croatia in affairs of mutual interest.

It was the first book about Islam and Muslims after the retreat of the Turks from Croatia.

1883 On the Zagrebs’ cemetery Mirogoj, the first Muslim was buried in accordance to the Islamic rules.

1892 By the decree of Croatian-Slavonian Provincial Government entry to the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb has been enabled for all Muslims studying in the Sarajevo Shariah Judge School. October 24th, 1892 the name of Osman Nuri Hadžić, the first Muslim from Bosnia and Herzegovina that has been registered in the historical records of the University of Zagreb, the study of Law.

1894 In Zagreb, L. Hartman published the first book on Zagreb Muslim calendar „Mearif“ (tur. Education) written by Osman Nuri Hadžić and Ivan Miličević

1907 Jusuf Zijabey opened the first traditional bosnian-osmanic coffee shop in Zagreb. Its location was in Kačićeva street.

1908 In Zagreb the first pastry shop of the oriental kind has been opened in Ilica street, owned by an albanian from Macedonia.

1910 In the Population census there have been found records of Muslims living in Zagreb at that time.

March 15th, 1915 in Zagreb started with the religious activities the Military Imam Office of the Kaiser and King Islamic military soulcare in the frame of the Austro-Hungarian army. As the main soulcare seniority the Kaiser and King military Imam Adem Kurbegović was appointed.

December 27th, 1916 in the School house on the Katarina square in Zagreb the first lectures on Islamic Teachings have started.

1919 -1945 During this period Ismet ef. Muftić (1886-1945), was the first head of the Islamic office in Zagreb and the first Zagrebs’ Mufti, thus the founder of the Islamic religious and educational life in Croatia.

1919 The Islamic office has been founded in Zagreb authorized for the teritory of Croatia.

March 16th, 1922 Croatian Muftiship was founded in Zagreb.

December 27th, 1932 Zagreb Radio Station transmitted the first „Ezan“ (the call for prayer).

1933 In Zagreb starts with the work „Narodna uzdanica“ - the first Muslim cultural society in Croatia.

November 29th, 1935 first Majlis was opened in Tomašićeva Str. 12 as the first premanent room for praying.

In 1935 Sharia court was established in Zagreb and it was base for solving and regulating Muslim’s family and marital issues. Dr. Ćamil Kamarić was the first Sharia judge in Zagreb and his seat was at District court at Zrinjevac.

1943 - 1948 The first Mosque in Zagreb was built, and for six years in Islamic function

1957 The first Muslim from Zagreb in newest history went to Hajj

1957 The Constitution of the Islamic Comunity in Yugoslavia was elected

1961 The Islamic Speakers platform was established. It is still functioning, and was named after late dr. Sulejman Mašović, its first and longtime lecturer.

1970 The Board of the Islamic Community in Zagreb, wrote the proposal letter to the prof. Juraj Naihardt and dr. Džemal Čelić, elaborating its Project Proposition of the Mosque in Zagreb.

1975 - 1988 - 2012 Ševko ef. Omerbašić was appointed as the Imam for Zagreb, and after that for 24 years the Mufti of Croatia. A historic figure who created and leaded successfuly the Muslim Community in the period of almost forty years, as the most important member and leader. He is respected in the whole Croatian society. Decorated by the President of Croatia for his life work.

1987 The Zagreb Mosque - Islamic Center starts with its work.

2012 Dr.sc. Aziz ef. Hasanović elected as Mufti of Croatia. One of the many efforts of the Mufti is to propose the successfull model of Croatia regarding the relations between the state and the Islamic Community to non-Muslim and Muslim countries.

The first idea of building a Mosque in Zagreb started in 1912 in the Austrian-Hungarian period, between the members and supporters of the Law party and the Fellowship of Brothers of the Croatian dragon. Paralely to other inciatives, the Zagreb Mufti Ismet ef. MuftiÊ in May 1922 presented a letter to the Mayor of Zagreb mr. Vjekoslav Heinzel, with the petition from the reis-ul-ulema Džemaludin ef. Čaušević, to allocate a city building-site for a mosque.

In 1938 the Zagreb Majlis founded a Fondation for the building of the Mosque. In october 1940 the town council decided that the Mosque is to be built in Zelengaj, and the architect Zvonimir Požgaj and painter Omer Mujadžić were entrusted with the work out of the project.

The authorities of the Croatian state (NDH) during World War II are making a decision in august 1941 that a building were the Center of fine arts was situated, built by the project of the sculptor Ivan Meštrović, was to be converted to a Mosque.

The outside convertion was designed by the architect Stjepan Planić, and the interior by the architect Zvonimir Požgaj. The construction of the three reinforced concrete minarets 45 meter high and the outdoor fountain was finished in spring 1943. In the inside part a new dome was placed wich ventilated the space and carried a 1000 kg weight chandelier. On the first floor room for a library was built. In the inside hall a monumentaly Mihrab, a Mimber and pulpit were placed. The inside walls of the Mosque were coated with green italian marble, and by the idea of the sculptours Joze Turkalj, Emil Bohutinski and Marijan Matijević, decorated with tuff ornaments of old-croatian hurdle motives and arabian calligraphy wich was composed and made by Muhamed Mujagić, a calligrapher from Sarajevo. The floors were covered with forty carpets type Esfahan. The Mosque was officialy opened in august 1944.

1945 - 1948 There are eye-widness statements that on some Fridays up to 5000 Muslims, which were serving in the Yugoslav army, were coming in formation for Friday prayer to the Zagreb Mosque. This is asumed as one of the reasons for the destructive development to follow later.

The Yugoslav communist authorities in April 1948 began the closing of the Mosque and the destruction of the Minarets, as ideologicaly unwelcomed simbols of the past. All interior remains of the Mosque were removed by autumn 1949 when in the building the Museum of peoples liberation was moved in. Separate remains of the Mosque were rescued in the time of destruction 1948 while the monumentaly Mihrab was found in 2002 in a wall during the last reconstruction of the building. The saved and founded remains are today exhibited in a Memory hall in the Islamic Center in Zagreb. Today on the place of the first Zagreb Mosque is the „Hall of croatian fine art artists“ situated.

1977 - 1987 The Board for building the Zagreb Mosque was established, and with his work, engagement and efforts of the members of the board, the building of the Zagreb Mosque - Islamic Center was started and succesfully finished, after a struggle of muslims for 40 years with authorities and politics to build their Mosque.

1979 In February the Islamic Community and the Board ordered the making of the idea project of the Zagreb Mosque. This task was given to the architects from Sarajevo prof. Dr. Džemal Čelić and Mirza Gološ, who finished it and later were building the architecture complex of the Zagreb Mosque - Islamic Center Zagreb.

1981 The Supreme head of the Islamic Comunity reis-ulema hagji Naim efendija Hadžiabdić layed on September 11th the corner stone for the new the corner stone for the new Zagreb Mosque.

1981 - 1987 The building of the Zagreb Mosque was financed through donations by Muslims all over the world, but the essential financing and making it possible to finish the great task, was by donations and through the readyness and determination of the Muslims of Zagreb.

1987 On the 6th of september the celebration of the opening of the Zagreb Mosque was held in presence of around 60 thousand cititizens and guests.
The Islamic Center in Zagreb, today is considered as one of the most beautifull and important Islamic centers in Europe. The Mosque is one part of the center, the most important one, but there are a lot of other contents. In the Zagreb Islamic Center there is the Islamic Gymnasium, the religious teaching for the young ones, a kindergarden, library, exhibiton hall, congress hall, youth club, football club, restaurant and bookshop. There are lectures, exhibtions, congresses, Kur’an teaching competitions, celebrations, weddings, sport events, school festivals, celebrations of Islamic holidays and all praying fascilities and contents which make the Zagreb Islamic Center unique and worth visiting.

A MASTERPIECE OF CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE

1968 - Muslims of Rijeka and Croatia first suggested to build a Mosque and Islamic Center in Rijeka.
The most interesting fact is that the design was not defined by architects, but by one of the most prominent Croatian sculptor, Dušan Džamonja (1928 - 2009). He created a miniature model of the Mosque, reflecting his well-known abstract sculptures. Later, the architects Darko VlahoviÊ and Branko VuËinoviÊ have undertaken the task to implement this conceptual idea in order to achieve the superior aesthetics of the project. When creating the design of the dome, Dušan Džamonja probably had in mind the rich tradition of dome construction of Ottoman Mosques on the shores of the Mediterranean.

2009 - The cornerstone for the Islamic Center in Rijeka was laid on October 3rd.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani is the biggest donator to the institution.

2013 - May 4th, the new Islamic Center and Mosque in the city of Rijeka was opened - the first Mosque built on the shores of the Adriatic in more than five centuries. The Mosque is one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Europe.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 Muslims and guests from all over the world attended the celebrations marking the opening of the Mosque in Rijeka.

The new Islamic Center and Mosque, with a 23 metre-high minaret, was opened by the Croatian President, Ivo Josipovic, the Bosniak member of Bosnia’s tripartite state presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic and Qatar’s Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Bin Mubarek Al Kuwari, who represented the Emir. Opening the center, President Josipovic said that the Islamic faith and tradition form “part of Croatian history and, together with other minority traditions, enrich Croatian cultural identity”.

The speaker of the Croatian parliament, Josip Leko, the religious leader of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reis-ul-ulema Husein ef. Kavazovic, the religious leader of Muslims in Croatia Mufti dr. Aziz ef. Hasanovic and the president of the EU delegation in Croatia, Paul Vandoren also spoke, emphasising the importance of the Rijeka Islamic Center for multiculturalism, tolerance and mutual understanding in Croatia and the region.

The Rijeka Islamic Center covers more than 10,000 square metres. The complex consists of a Mosque, a multipurpose hall, a teaching room, kindergarden, library and other offices, dining room, guest house, classrooms for young people, cafeteria, basketball court, and parking lot.

More than 10,000 Muslims, mostly from Bosnia and Herzegovina, live in Rijeka and the surrounding area. The Mosque is the result of decades-old aspirations of Muslims in Rijeka to have an adequate religious space.