Kazan is a city of mosques. The most beautiful mosques of Kazan

Russia is an unusual state that unites a wide variety of cultures, nations and religions into a single whole. That is why each of its regions and cities is unique and in its own way unique. One of these cities is Kazan - a kind of mix from the hot Caucasus and a restrained-good-natured Central Russia. In this city, Islamic and Christian culture were organically intertwined. And first of all Kazan will be interesting to the tourist with its numerous mosques.

The mosque as an architectural object

Mosques, in their essence, are unique architectural objects, real masterpieces of eastern architecture. Their voluminous domes, sharp and rushing up minarets, a wealth of architectural decor can not leave indifferent any person on earth.

This is a special place for prayer among Muslims - adherents of Islamic dogma. The roots of the word mosque hide in the Old Arabic language, in which it sounded like "masjid". Literally this translates as "a place for worship." That is, in other words, a mosque is a place where every Muslim can worship his god during prayer.

While in the mosque, you should know about the basic rules of behavior in this sacred place for Muslims. In particular, here in no event it is impossible:

• Kissing or holding hands;
• Touch the holy book of the Quran or any architectural details of the interior decoration;
• make noise;
• Go into dirty or untidy clothes;
• Go to the mosque in shoes;
• Enter in shorts or a skirt above the knees.

It is also worth noting that the entrance to many mosques is accessible exclusively to Muslims.

Mosques of Kazan

Kazan is the oldest city in the Russian Federation, an important river port on the Volga. This major economic and cultural center is rightfully called the third capital of Russia. And Kazan is often called the capital of all Tatars on earth. Therefore, the Tatar mosque on the streets of this Russian city is not uncommon, there are two dozen here!

We bring to your attention the most interesting mosques in Kazan, photos of which are also presented in this article. Most of them are considered historical, since they were erected before 1917. But the largest mosque of the city - Kul Sharif - was built already in our time.

The main mosque of Kazan

This mosque is the main mosque in Kazan and throughout the Republic of Tatarstan. It is located in the western part of the so-called Kazan Kremlin and is one of the largest mosques in Europe.

The Kul Sharif mosque was built on the site of an old mosque, destroyed in its time by the army of Ivan the Terrible. Construction lasted almost ten years: from 1996 to 2005. The estimated cost of this grandiose project is estimated at 500 million rubles. The bulk of this impressive amount was donations, in which about 40 thousand citizens and various organizations took part. The grand opening of the mosque was held on June 24, 2005, just on the day of the celebration of the millennial anniversary of Kazan.

Interestingly, inside the building there is a book with the names of all those people who took part in the construction. Especially spectacular Kul Sharif mosque looks at night, thanks to a system of elegant architectural lighting.

The oldest mosque in Kazan

In addition to Kul Sharif, there are other mosques in Kazan, worthy of attention and interest.

The oldest in the city is the Marjani Mosque, built in 1770. More than two centuries it was the center of Tatar culture and spirituality. The mosque is built in a medieval architectural style, while the building looks through the elements of the Baroque. Two-storey building is decorated with a beautiful three-tiered minaret.

The most unusual mosque in Kazan

The mosques of Kazan are amazing and not ordinary. The most unusual mosque of the city can be considered Zakabannuyu mosque, which was built in 1926. First of all, it is unique in its architecture, in which interwoven Muslim motifs, features of romanticism and modernity.

Another interesting fact relates to the history of the construction of this building. The fact is that the permission to build this mosque in Kazan was given by Joseph Stalin himself, and he did it personally. Today the building is a wonderful decoration of the architectural appearance of the city of Kazan.

The most elegant mosque in Kazan

This historic mosque is called Azimovskaya and impresses with its beauty and elegance. In its architecture, two styles are skillfully combined - eclecticism and romanticism.

Construction began in 1887 and lasted three years. The mosque is named after the merchant M. Azimov, who allocated funds for its erection.

The Azimov mosque is represented by a one-story building with one high minaret of 51 meters high. In the decoration of the building, elements of eastern Muslim architecture were actively used.

The most "Russian" mosque in Kazan

But the Burnaev mosque can be safely called the most "Russian" mosque in Kazan. After all, at first sight you can not determine whether it is an Orthodox church or a Tatar mosque? Very organically and skillfully the architects have connected here elements of traditional Russian and Muslim Tatar architecture.

It was built in 1872 at the expense of merchant M. Burnaev (and in this case the mosque was named in honor of its main patron). The structure is a one-story brick building with a three-tiered minaret above the front door.

Burnay's mosque in the city is also called "foreign", since most of its parishioners are foreigners.

Kazan is really a city of mosques. In this mosque is very diverse - small and impressive in size, ancient and modern, brick and wooden, traditional and unusual in its architecture. Therefore, if you are attracted by such architecture, go to the "third capital of Russia". The amazing mosques of Kazan certainly will not leave you indifferent!