Serbia

Islam in Serbia is a historically rooted minority religion, forming the country’s second-largest faith after Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

1. Population & Demographics
About 3% to 4% of Serbia’s population (approximately 200,000–250,000 people) are Muslims.

Major Muslim communities include:

  • Bosniaks — concentrated in the Sandžak region (southwestern Serbia, around Novi Pazar)
  • Albanians — in the Preševo Valley (southeastern Serbia)
  • Roma Muslims — scattered across the country
  • Small numbers of ethnic Turks, Gorani, and others.

2. History of Islam in Serbia

  • Islam was introduced during the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans (15th century).
  • For nearly 400 years under Ottoman rule, parts of Serbia were Islamized, particularly in urban centers and border areas.
  • After the Ottoman retreat, many Muslims migrated, but large communities remained in Sandžak and southern Serbia.
  • During Yugoslavia’s era, Muslims were officially recognized as a “nationality” (as “Muslims by nationality”).
  • The 1990s Yugoslav Wars strained relations in some areas, but the Muslim population in Serbia remained largely uninvolved in conflict compared to Bosnia or Kosovo.

3. Religious Practices & Institutions
Most Serbian Muslims are Sunni (Hanafi school). Sufi orders like the Naqshbandi and Qadiri have historical but limited current presence. Serbia has two main Islamic organizations:

  • The Islamic Community of Serbia (based in Belgrade),
  • The Islamic Community in Serbia (based in Novi Pazar, part of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina) — this division occasionally causes administrative tension.

Mosques: There are about 200 mosques, the most famous being:

  • Altun-Alem Mosque in Novi Pazar (built in the 16th century),
  • Mosques in Preševo, Bujanovac, and other Sandžak towns.

4. Islam in Public Life

  • Islam is an officially recognized religion.
  • Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated in Muslim-majority areas but are not national public holidays.
  • In regions like Sandžak, Islamic education is part of the public school system where applicable.
  • Halal food availability is limited but growing in urban centers.

5. Challenges & Tensions
Muslims in Serbia face occasional challenges such as:

  • Islamophobia and prejudice, particularly in nationalist media or politics,
  • Difficulties in obtaining permission for building new mosques (outside Muslim-majority areas),
  • Divisions between the two Islamic organizations complicating community leadership.

Despite this, no major religious conflicts have erupted in recent decades.

6. Integration & Community Life

  • In Sandžak, Islam is a central part of daily life — mosques are active, and religious practices are visible.
  • In mixed areas, Muslims and Christians generally coexist peacefully, though mutual distrust lingers in some places due to historical and political reasons.

7. Notable Facts

  • Serbia has some beautiful Ottoman-era mosques and Islamic monuments, mostly in the Sandžak region.
  • The Muslim community is active in culture, sports, and politics, especially in Novi Pazar, the unofficial capital of Muslim Serbia.

Summary:
Islam in Serbia is a historic and officially recognized faith, centered in regions like Sandžak and Preševo. While Muslims enjoy freedom of worship, they face some social and institutional challenges. Relations with the Orthodox Christian majority are largely peaceful, though shaped by a complex past.

Serbia
Country Code Top-Level Domain: .rs
Country Code: +381