Mosques and what's inside. The World's Most Incredible Mosque Entry Requirements
There are three main mosques in the Muslim world: Al Haram (Forbidden Mosque) in Mecca, Al Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet) in Medina and Al-Aqsa (Remote Mosque) in Jerusalem.
All these mosques are very important for Muslims, and each of them has its own specific meaning.
Al-Haram Mosque (Forbidden Mosque)
The Al-Haram Mosque is the main Muslim temple located in Saudi Arabia, in Mecca. The Kaaba is located in the courtyard of this mosque.
Al-Haram Mosque (Forbidden Mosque) during Hajj
The Kaaba is a shrine of Islam, which is a cubic stone structure in the courtyard, in the center of the Holy Mosque (al-Masjed al-Haram) in Mecca. This is the main sanctuary of Islam, which Muslims call al-Bait al-Haram, which means "sacred house". The very name "Kaaba" comes from the word "cube". The height of the building is 15 meters. Length and width - 10 and 12 meters respectively. The corners of the Kaaba are oriented to the cardinal points, and each of them has its own name: Yemeni (southern), Iraqi (northern), Levantine (western) and stone (eastern). The Kaaba is made of granite and covered with a cloth on top, and inside it there is a room where a door made of pure gold leads, which weighs 286 kilograms.
Almost three hundred kilograms of the purest gold were used to finish the door.
In the eastern corner of the Kaaba, at the level of one and a half meters, the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Eswad) is mounted, bordered by a silver rim. This is a hard stone of irregular oval shape, black in color with a scarlet tint. It has red spots and yellow wavy lines at the junctions of the broken parts. The diameter of the stone is about thirty centimeters. He, as Muslims are sure, was sent by Allah from heaven. The Black Stone is the most famous sacred meteorite, the nature of which is still unknown. The stone is very fragile, but it floats in water. After the Black Stone was stolen in 930, when it returned to Mecca, its authenticity was established precisely by its property not to sink in water. The Kaaba burned twice, and in 1626 it was flooded - as a result, the Black Stone split into 15 pieces. Now they are fastened with cement mortar and enclosed in a silver frame. The visible surface of the stone is 16 by 20 centimeters. It is believed that Allah sent the Black Stone to Adam and Eve as a sign of forgiveness.
Until now, seven fragments of the Stone are held in place by a large silver frame that goes around the corner of the Kaaba and hides most of it, leaving the pilgrims only a small hole for kisses and touches.
Governor of Mecca Prince Khaled Al-Faisal at the Black Stone during the traditional washing of the Kaaba
The Kaaba has a special meaning in Muslim rituals. In the direction of the Kaaba, Muslims around the world turn their faces during prayer. Around this building during the Hajj, believing Muslims perform a ceremony tawaf - ritual sevenfold circumambulation of the Kaaba counterclockwise. During this rite, worship is performed on the Iraqi and Yemeni corners of the Kaaba, in which pilgrims touch with their hands, kiss this building and pray near it. According to Muslim tradition, a stone is placed in the Kaaba, which God gave to Adam after the fall and expulsion from paradise, when the first person realized his sin and repented of it. Another legend tells that the stone is Adam's guardian angel, who was turned into stone for overlooking and allowing the fall of the first person entrusted to his protection. According to an Arab legend, after being expelled from paradise, Adam and Eve (Hava) were separated - Adam ended up in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), and Eve - not far from Mecca, on the shores of the Red Sea, in places where the port of Jeddah is now located. On the outskirts of this city, Khava's grave is allegedly still located. They met Adam only after two hundred years, and it happened in the Mecca region. After a long separation, they got to know each other on Mount Arafat, which is also sacred to the Arabs. Adam, however, even after meeting his wife, missed the temple where he prayed in paradise. Then God brought down a copy of that temple for him from heaven. According to legend, when the Black Stone was lowered from the sky, it was dazzling white and at the same time shone so that it could be seen for four days on the way to Mecca. But over time, from the touch of numerous sinners, the stone began to darken until it turned black. The time of construction of the Kaaba and its builders are unknown. According to legend, the Kaaba was built by the first man - Adam, but it was destroyed by the Flood, and even the place where it stood was forgotten. The shrine was restored by Patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim) with his son Ismail, the ancestor of the local peoples. Abraham built the Kaaba with the help of one miraculous device. It was a flat stone on which the forefather Abraham stood, and this stone could fly above the ground and rise to any height, performing the function of mobile scaffolding. It has survived, is located a few meters from the Kaaba and is called Maqam Ibrahim (Ibrahim's standing place) and, despite the fact that it has long lost its flying properties, is also a Muslim shrine. The footprint of Abraham-Ibrahim remained on it. A dome was erected over this stone over time. Archangel Gabriel (Jebrail) helped Ibrahim in the restoration of the Kaaba. From him, Ibrahim and Ismail learned that the temple they built is an exact copy of the temple in which Adam prayed. For the peoples and tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, the Kaaba was traditionally a sacred building long before the rise of Islam. The Kaaba was the main sanctuary of the Hijaz, a historical region in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. Arabs from ancient times believed that the Kaaba is the house of God, and made pilgrimages to it.
Thanks to this shrine, Mecca became famous - now it is the holy city of Islam, located seventy kilometers from the Red Sea coast, in a very arid and unsuitable for agriculture area. The only factor that made these places attractive for people to settle there is the source of fresh water - Zamzam. The location of Mecca on the trade routes of the region also turned out to be successful. The appearance of the source, according to local legend, happened miraculously - God created it for the sake of the patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ismail - the ancestor of the Arab tribes. It was considered one of the seven holy places by the Sabeans of Persia and Chaledonia. The rest of their shrines were considered: Mars - the top of the mountain in Isfahan; Mandusan in India; Hay Bahar in Balkh; Gamdan's house in Sana'a; Kausan in Fergana, Khorasan; House in Upper China. Many of the Sabaeans believed that the Kaaba was the House of Saturn, as it was the oldest known building in that era. The Persians also made a pilgrimage to the Kaaba, believing that the spirit of Tormoz dwells there. The Jews also respected this shrine. They worshiped the same God there. With no less reverence, Christians came to the Kaaba. However, over time, the Kaaba became an exclusively Muslim shrine. The idols revered by the pagans were destroyed in 630 by the prophet Muhammad, who was born in Mecca and, according to the Koran, was a descendant of the prophet Abraham (Ibrahim). He left only the images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus that were there. Their images were applied there not by chance: Christians lived in Mecca, and besides them - Jews, as well as Hanifs - righteous followers of faith in the one God, who were not part of any of the religious communities. The Prophet not only did not cancel the pilgrimage to the shrine, but he himself respectfully kissed the Kaaba with his staff. In the second year after the Hijra, or according to the calendar more familiar to us - in 623-624 AD, the prophet Muhammad established that Muslims should pray, turning towards the Kaaba. Until then, they had prayed with their faces turned toward Jerusalem. Muslim pilgrims flocked to the Kaaba to Mecca. They believe that the shrine is a prototype of the heavenly Kaaba, around which the angels also perform tawaf. The holy place was also destroyed in 930, when the Qarmatians, Shiite Ismaili sectarians from Bahrain, stole the Black Stone, which was returned to its place only 21 years later. After this incident, some doubts arose about its authenticity, but they were dispelled by an investigative experiment: the stone was thrown into the water and made sure that it did not sink. But the adventures of the Black Stone did not end there: in 1050, the caliph of Egypt sent his man to Mecca with the task of destroying the shrine. And then, twice, the Kaaba was engulfed by fire, and in 1626, by a flood. As a result of all these disasters, the stone broke into 15 pieces. In our time, they are fastened with cement and inserted into a silver setting. Reverence for the Kaaba is also expressed in wrapping the relic with a special veil - kisvoy. It is updated annually. Its upper part is decorated with sayings from the Koran embroidered with gold; 875 square meters of fabric are used to make a kiswa. The first to cover the Kaaba with canvases decorated with silver embroidery was the Tubba (King) of Yemen, Abu Bakr Asad. His successors continued this custom. Various types of fabrics were used. The tradition of covering the Kaaba has undergone significant changes: initially, before the pilgrimage to Mecca of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mahdi in 160 after the Hijra, the covers on the structure were simply put on each other. After the cover was worn out, a new one was put on top. However, the servants of the Forbidden Mosque expressed their fears to the ruler of the Caliphate that the building might simply not withstand the weight of the blankets piled one on top of the other. The caliph agreed with their opinion and ordered that the Kaaba be covered with no more than one cover at a time. Since then, this rule has been strictly observed. The inside of the building is also decorated with curtains. The family of Beni Sheibe is following all this order. The shrine is open to the public only during the Kaaba washing ceremony, and this happens only twice a year: two weeks before the holy month of Ramadan and two weeks after the Hajj. From the son of Abraham, Ismail, Kaaba was inherited by the southern Arab tribe of the Jurhumites, who enjoyed the support of the Babylonians. And in the 3rd century AD, they were supplanted by another southern Arab tribe, the Banu Khuzaa. Out of desperation, the Jurhumites, leaving Mecca, destroyed the Kaaba and covered up the source of Zamzam. The Khuzaits restored the Kaaba, and from the middle of the 3rd century BC, the Kaaba became the pantheon of the Arab tribes. The leader of the Khuzaites at that time was Amr ibn Luhey, who became the ruler of Mecca and the patron of the Kaaba. Contrary to the initial monotheism of Abraham-Ibrahim and his son Ismail, he placed idols in the Kaaba and encouraged people to worship them. The first idol he set up - Hubal - he brought from Syria. Quraysh - another Arab tribe that lived in the Mecca region and descended from Adnan, one of the descendants of Ismail, and his wife, the daughter of the leader of the Khuzaites, expelled the Khuzaites from Mecca and gained control of the city and the temple around 440-450. From this tribe came the prophet Mohammed, who glorified the Kaaba to the whole world. Before his preaching, the Kaaba was the center of numerous religious cults. In the center of the Kaaba stood the idol of Hubal - the deity of the Quraysh tribe. He was considered the lord of heaven, the lord of thunder and rain. Over time, another 360 idols of pagan gods, which were worshiped by the Arabs, were placed there. Near them sacrifices were made and fortune-telling was made. Quarrels and bloodshed were strictly forbidden at this place. It is interesting that among the characters of pagan cults there were images of Abraham (Ibrahim) and Ismail with prophetic arrows in their hands; Isa (Jesus) and Mariam with the baby (Virgin Mary). As you can see, everyone found in this place something close to their faith. Pilgrims came to Mecca regularly. Twice a year, a lot of people came to the local fair. The Kaaba was known and revered far beyond the Arabian Peninsula. She was honored by the Hindu, according to the beliefs of which the spirit of Siwa, the third person of Trimurti, accompanied by his wife during a visit to the Hijaz, entered the Black Stone.
The building itself has been rebuilt many times. For the first time - under the second righteous caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Khattab. During the Umayyad period, Caliph Abd al-Malik restored the building, expanded the boundaries of the Holy Mosque, he also installed arches decorated with mosaics, which were specially brought from Syria and Egypt. During the reign of the Abbasids, at the direction of Caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur, the mosque was further expanded and a gallery was erected along its perimeter. The area around the Kaaba was also thoroughly rebuilt by the Ottoman Sultan Abd al-Majid. And in the recent past, in 1981, the space around the relic was reconstructed by the King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz. Now the territory of the Masjid al-Haram mosque with an area around the Kaaba is 193,000 square meters. At the same time, 130,000 Muslims can visit it. At the corners of the mosque there are 10 minarets, six of which (together with the superstructures in the form of a crescent) reach a height of 105 meters. What is the Black Stone embedded in the structure is still unknown. Some scientists consider it a very large meteorite. This opinion is disputed by a weighty argument that a stone cannot be an iron meteorite, based on its cracks, nor can it be a stone meteorite, since it cannot withstand movement and floats in water. Other researchers tend to see in the stone a large piece of unknown volcanic rock: rocky Arabia is rich in extinct volcanoes. It is known that this is not basalt or agate. However, the expressed opinion that the stone is not a meteorite is subjected to serious criticism. In 1980, researcher Elizabeth Thomsen suggested that the Black Stone has an impact nature - it is molten sand mixed with meteorite material. It comes from the Wabar crater, located 1800 kilometers from Mecca, in the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia. The stone from this crater is a frozen porous glass, it is quite hard and brittle, can float in water and has inclusions of white glass (crystals) and grains of sand (stripes). However, such a coherent theory has its weak point: the conclusion made by scientists based on the results of several measurements indicates the age of the crater, which is only a few centuries. The confusion comes from other measurements, suggesting that the crater is about 6,400 years old. There are actually three craters in Vabar. They are scattered over an area of about 500 by 1000 meters and have diameters of 116.64 and 11 meters. The Bedouin nomads call this place al-Hadida - iron objects. In an area of half a square kilometer, there are many fragments of black glass, white stones from sintered sand and iron pieces, partially covered with sand. The iron stones from the vicinity of the Vabar craters have a smooth surface covered with a black coating. The largest piece of iron and nickel found there by scientists weighs 2,200 kilograms and is called the Camel's Hump. It was discovered by a scientific expedition in 1965 and was later put on display at the Royal University of the Arabian capital Riyadh. The smooth, cone-shaped stone appears to be a piece of a meteorite that fell to the ground and broke into several fragments. The holy book of Muslims - the Koran contains a story about the king of the city of Ubar named Aad. He mocked the prophet of Allah. For their wickedness, the city of Ubar and all its inhabitants were destroyed by a black cloud brought by a hurricane. The English researcher Harry Philby became interested in this story. The place most likely for the location of the lost city, he considered the Empty Quarter. However, instead of ruins - the works of human hands, he found fragments of a meteorite in that place. According to the traces left by this event, it was found that the energy released during the fall of the meteorite was equivalent to a nuclear explosion with a yield of about 12 kilotons, which is comparable to the explosion in Hiroshima. Other meteorites are known to have caused even more powerful impacts, but the case of Vabar has an important peculiarity. The meteorite fell into an open sandy place, dry and isolated enough that it is an ideal natural storage. There it was easy to find both the nomads of antiquity and modern scientists. The latter cannot yet give a definitive answer to the riddle of the Black Stone.
Al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet)
Al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet) is the second most important Muslim mosque (after the Forbidden Mosque), located in Saudi Arabia, in Medina. Under the Green Dome of the Al-Nabawi Mosque is the grave of the Prophet, the founder of Islam, Muhammad. The first two Muslim caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar are also buried in the mosque.
Al-Nabawi Mosque (Mosque of the Prophet) in Medina
Green Dome (Prophet's Dome)
Tomb of Prophet Muhammad. Next to it, the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, are buried, and on the other side there is another area that looks like an empty grave. Many Islamic scholars and Quran scholars believe that this grave site is reserved for the prophet Isa (Jesus), who will return to Earth to kill the Dajjal (Antichrist), and then rule the revived Caliphate for 40 years.
The first mosque on this site was built during the lifetime of Mohammed, who himself took part in the construction. The layout of this building has been adopted for other mosques around the world. When Muhammad was forty years old, the archangel Jabrail appeared to him and called him to serve. Muhammad began his sermons in Mecca, seeking to turn the Arabs away from pagan polytheism and convert them to the true faith. In 622, due to strong pressure from the religious leaders of Mecca, Muhammad was forced to flee to the city of Yathrib, located several hundred kilometers away. In Yathrib (which was later renamed Medina), he managed to organize the first Muslim community. A few years later, the Muslim movement grew so much that Muhammad was able to create a large army, which in 630 captured Mecca without a fight. Thus the first Muslim state was formed.
Al-Aqsa Mosque (Remote Mosque)
Al-Aqsa Mosque (Arabic: المسجد الاقصى - extreme mosque) is a Muslim temple in the Old City of Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. It is the third holiest site in Islam after the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Islam associates Isra (the night journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem) and miraj (ascension) with this place. On the site of the al-Aqsa mosque, the Prophet Muhammad, as an imam, prayed with all the prophets sent before him.
Al-Aqsa Mosque (Remote Mosque) in Jerusalem
Founded in 636 by Caliph Omar on the site of a Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans, the Al-Aqsa Mosque was significantly expanded and rebuilt under Caliph Abd al-Malik in 693. Under Caliph Abd al-Malik, another mosque was built near Al-Aqsa, called Kubbat As-Sahra (Dome of the Rock). Nowadays, the Dome of the Rock Mosque is often confused with the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Qubbat As-Sahra Mosque (Dome of the Rock)
Often, the huge golden dome of the adjacent Qubbat al-Sakhra ("Dome of the Rock") mosque is confused with the more modest dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque, calling the said golden dome of Qubbat al-Sakhra the dome of the "Mosque of Omar". But it is Al-Aqsa that has its second name the name "Mosque of Omar" in honor of its founder Caliph Umar (Omar) and is the historical center of two mosques on the Temple Mount, and not the Kubbat as-Sakhra mosque, which, nevertheless, in architectural plan is the center of the complex.
temple platform
The early period of the formation of Islam was characterized by the founding of the Caliphate and the appearance of the first mosques. At this time, a large number of principles and rules were established regarding, among others,. After the departure from this world of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the first four righteous caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) were mainly busy ensuring stability and security in Muslim society. Of course, this prevented any significant architectural work. Despite this, there were still several unassuming projects that will be discussed in this material.
The simplicity of the early period
The architecture of the early years of Islam (between 622 and 661) was characterized by simplicity and modesty. The newly emerged state, with scarce resources, was too busy defending against enemy tribes. Moreover, devotion to faith and the desire for everything Divine made me distance myself from an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle.
Worship in Islam is based on the concept of Tawhid - monotheism. Belief in the One God, who “is impossible to comprehend with sight, but He comprehends everything visible, and He is aware of everything subtle, invisible” (Quran, 6:103), had practically no analogues in the past. Therefore, there was no need to present the object of worship.
A new approach, consistent with all the key positions of Islam, appeared only after a certain level of stability and prosperity had been achieved. Architectural sophistication came later, when intellectual and economic prosperity created a demand for detailed and refined, but Islamicly acceptable, architectural forms.
A quick look at the first mosques
The first Muslim religious and public building is the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina (622). Despite the simplicity, it was the first project of its kind in the history of mankind. This building remained the center of the social, cultural and political life of the Muslim community for more than 30 years.
The transfer of the capital from Medina to Kufa by Ali ibn Abu Talib (the fourth righteous caliph) in 657 brought significant political, social and economic changes and was the beginning of an unprecedented architectural and building activity. Medina lost its privileged status and became an ordinary provincial town, eventually turning into a purely spiritual and religious center.
At the same time, the transfer of the capital created a precedent that was repeated throughout the history of Islam. The transfer of the capital each time after the change of the caliph led to the spread in society of a tendency to waste and pomp. This coincided with the economic and social prosperity of the Caliphate. A simple mosque turned into a complex structure, architecture and decoration.
Saad ibn Abu Waqqas
This companion of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him), who came from a noble family, built a mosque in Kufa. Thus, he designated his permanent residence, known as Dar ul-Imara (638). This building was so exquisite and full of small details that the righteous caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was even dissatisfied and ordered to burn it. She stood on marble columns imported from Persia and was surrounded by a moat.
Decoration of the first mosques
Historical sources report that the only object of ritual decoration of the mosques of that period were minbars in the form of stairs (others say, in the form of a chair), first introduced by the Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him), sitting on which he could be seen and heard by the entire audience of believers present in the mosque. Minbar is mentioned in a number of hadiths, for example, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet said: “Between my house and my minbar there is a garden that belongs to the gardens of Paradise.” However, the noted scholar Martin Briggs (1931) believed that the minbar was designed by Amr ibn al-As for a mosque he built in Egypt.
Another book by Briggs (1924) states that the origin of the minbar is linked to the judge's chair in ancient Arabia. The transfer of the capital from Kufa to Damascus in 661 by the founder of the Ummayad dynasty, Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), was of decisive importance for the mosques and their decoration. He brought with him the transition from an ascetic, strict style in architecture to the era of luxurious palaces and the creation of architectural masterpieces for all time. Here it is enough to mention the "Dome of the Rock" - a mosque in Jerusalem, built by Abdel-Malik in 691-692.
In conclusion, it should be said that the key point of the era of the Caliphate was the emergence and development of Islam, the emphasis of the state was placed on protection from enemies and economic issues. The architectural aspirations of that period were aimed at meeting precisely these needs of society. This influenced the architecture of the mosques of that period. . Mosques were the centers of various activities of the first Muslims - in religious, social, military and other spheres. Mosques from the early period of Islam include: the Mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Medina (622), the Mosque of Basra (635) and the Mosque of Kufa (638), both in Iraq, and the Mosque of Amr in Fustat (641) in Egypt.
The old Moscow Cathedral Mosque on Prospekt Mira was remembered by the residents of the city for its incredible popularity during the days of the main Muslim celebrations - Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adha. These days, the surrounding neighborhoods were blocked, and they were filled with thousands of worshipers.
And this is not surprising. The former building of the temple was much inferior in size to the current one. Today, the Moscow Cathedral Mosque is one of the most interesting architectural objects of the capital. Its high minarets are visible far beyond the Olympic Avenue.
More than a hundred years ago, there was a mosque on the site of the current luxurious building. The Moscow Cathedral Church was erected in 1904. The building will be built according to the design of the Moscow architect Nikolai Zhukov, mainly at the expense of the well-known philanthropist, merchant Salih Yerzin. This mosque became the second Muslim temple in the capital, but after the mosque in Zamoskvorechye was closed (in 1937), the address Vypolzov lane, house 7, became a symbol of Soviet Islam.
The temple received a letter of protection from Stalin himself, which was a telegram of thanks for helping the front during the Second World War. In addition, the visits of famous leaders of Muslim states in the post-war years to Vypolzov Lane reliably protected the religious life of the temple.
Gamal Abdel Nasser, Sukarno, Muammar Gaddafi and other well-known politicians who sought the favor of the leadership of the Soviet Union, during their visits to the capital, visited not only the Kremlin, but also visited some advanced enterprise, and without fail a mosque.
Visits of distinguished guests to the mosque were quite difficult and often not according to the script. For example, in 1981, the leader of the Libyan Jamahiriya, who visited the mosque, did not follow the diplomatic protocol. Gaddafi asked the imams why there were no young people in the temple in the prayer hall, where you can buy religious literature in Moscow, and offered financial assistance to the mosque.
The Iranians left portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini on the window sills in the mosque, invited the imam of the Moscow mosque A. Mustafin to come to Tehran, although neither in the Soviet Union in general, nor Muslim religious leaders in particular, by that time had not yet decided on their attitude to the Islamic revolution.
Nevertheless, it is thanks to the international status of the mosque that it has survived. This made it possible to hold open prayers in the Soviet capital. The imams of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque became frequent guests at government receptions.
Imams of the mosque
Among the imams who served in different years in the mosque, the following should be singled out: Bedretdin Alimov (the first imam), Safa Alimovov, Abdulvudud Fattakhetdinov, Ismail Mushtaria, Akhmetzyan Mustafin Rizautdin Basyrov, Ravil Gainutdin, Rais Bilyalov, Ildar Alyautdinov.
Today, six imams serve in the temple. Ildar Alyautdinov is the chief imam of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. He is assisted by Mustafa Kutyukchu, Rais Bilyalov, Anas Sadretdinov, Islam Zaripov and Vais Bilyaletdinov, the oldest imam (30 years of service). In Soviet times, it was the only mosque in the city that did not stop its work and regularly held services.
Construction of a new temple
By the end of the 20th century, the mosque was increasingly called dilapidated and in need of renovation or reconstruction. Under this pretext, they tried to demolish the building on the eve of the Olympics-80, it was saved only by the intervention of the Muslim community in Moscow and the ambassadors of some Arab countries.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the mosque received the status of a cultural heritage site, but not for long. Soon the status was canceled, recognizing the structure as dilapidated and subject to demolition. In addition, by this time the mosque no longer accommodated all believers even in Friday prayers.
In 2011, the old building was completely demolished. For several years, prayers were held in a temporary building. The construction was accompanied by numerous court proceedings between the authors of the project, Alexei Kolenteev and Ilyas Tazhiev, with the customer, represented by the Spiritual Board of Muslims. Nevertheless, in 2005 it was decided to carry out a large-scale reconstruction. And in 2011, construction began on the building of a new mosque designed by Alexei Kolenteev and Ilyas Tazhiev.
Moscow Cathedral Mosque: opening
On September 23, 2015, a long-awaited event for the entire Muslim world of Russia took place. The magnificent Moscow Cathedral Mosque opened its doors. The address of the temple is Vypolzov lane, house 7. This holiday brought together numerous guests. The solemn and very memorable ceremony was attended by President Putin, politicians, well-known representatives of science and culture. It should be noted that famous and honored guests in the mosque are not uncommon - both before and after the reconstruction, it remains the center of Islam in Russia, it is visited by many politicians, representatives of culture from all over the world.
Construction cost
The Council of Muftis reported that the Moscow Cathedral Mosque was built for $170 million. This huge amount includes donations from ordinary believers, as well as funds from large entrepreneurs. A book was published in their honor, all benefactors are listed by name.
The current mosque can hardly be called a reconstructed building. After all, only tiny fragments of the walls remained from the old building.
Architecture
The Moscow Cathedral Mosque occupies a huge area - 18,900 square meters (before the reconstruction it was 964 square meters). To strengthen the structure, 131 piles were driven into its base, as a metro line was laid nearby, and the underground river Neglinka carries its waters.
There are several cultural and historical references in the architectural complex of the new mosque. For example, the main minarets, whose height is more than 70 meters, resemble in their shape the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin in the capital and the leaning Syuyumbike Tower of the Kazan Kremlin. This is no coincidence. The architects resorted to such a decision as a symbol of unity and friendship between the Tatar and Russian peoples.
The huge 46-meter dome of the mosque, covered with twelve tons of gold leaf, is surprisingly harmoniously combined with the general appearance of the "gold-domed" Moscow. The architects also took into account the original appearance of the mosque. Fragments of the old walls were reassembled, and they successfully fit into the new interior, while retaining their original appearance. The top of one minaret is crowned with a crescent moon, which at one time adorned the old building.
The Moscow Cathedral Mosque has certain features of the Byzantine style. The magnificent six-storey building is crowned with minarets, domes and towers of various sizes. The area of the new building is 20 times larger than the original version. Today, prayer halls for women and men can accommodate about ten thousand believers. There are also special rooms for the ritual of washing, a large and cozy hall for conferences and meetings.
Leading Muslim imams conduct services in the new mosque, they also perform traditional rites.
Interior decoration
The Moscow Cathedral Mosque inside amazes guests with luxury and splendor of decoration. Exquisite patterns on the walls of the temple, thought out to the smallest detail decor elements are fully consistent with the traditions of Muslim architecture. The interior uses the classic colors for Islam - green, emerald, white, blue.
The interior of the dome, as well as the walls and ceiling of the mosque, is decorated with paintings. These are sacred verses from the Koran, which were performed by Turkish masters. The Turkish government donated magnificent front doors, extraordinary carpets (handmade) for the halls and luxurious crystal chandeliers to the cathedral mosque.
The mosque is illuminated by more than three hundred and twenty lamps, which are placed on the ceiling and walls. Their main part repeats the shape of the dome of the temple. The main (central) chandelier is a giant lamp. Its height is about eight meters, and this structure weighs one and a half tons. It was created by fifty masters from Turkey for three months.
It should be noted that it is not necessary to be a Muslim to see the mosque. Here, as in the mosques of Istanbul and other large cities, the doors are open to representatives of different religions. But certain rules must be followed.
Women must cover their hair and their clothing must be tight and closed. Before entering, you should take off your shoes and try not to disturb the worshipers.
East is a delicate matter. That is the conclusion people came to many years ago. This phrase, with the light hand of a classic of Soviet cinema, has become winged. Asian, in particular Arab, civilization for Europe is a mystery, but very interesting. The people of this part of the world have a special attitude to everything: to life and death, to love and marriage, to religion.
Travelers, whose path passed through Asia and Arabia, paid attention to the fact that there are no churches and cathedrals. But still, the faithful followers of Islam have their own place for prayers, and it is called the "mosque".
What is a mosque? This is a special architectural structure for worship, built according to established canons. This is a building that stands alone under a luxurious gambiz dome. Tower-minarets surround the temple - at least one, maximum nine. From them the muezzin calls loudly to prayer. Today, however, many mosques are equipped with radio. Sometimes the building has a courtyard and a madrasah school.
Mosque from inside
The Muslim mosque is characterized by a modest prayer hall, without rich frescoes and paintings, as is customary in the Western world. On the walls they can only write lines from the holy book of the Koran in Arabic script. In the wall, which is turned towards Mecca, there is an empty niche called "mihrab". To the right of it is a pulpit for the imam to read a sermon. Here, in the direction of the city where the great prophet Muhammad was born, all the parishioners turn their faces.
The floors of the prayer house are covered with carpets, on which they kneel during prayer. A mandatory attribute that any Muslim mosque has is the presence of a ritual pool. In it, believers perform a symbolic ablution before prayer to cleanse the soul and body. It is worth remembering that it is impossible to enter the sacred building with shoes on; believers bare their feet before entering.
Treasures of the Islamic World: Syria
So, what is a mosque, figured out. And now it's time to go on an exciting journey through the most beautiful buildings of the Muslim world. There are an amazing number of them, and it is impossible to tell about all of them, so we will choose the most worthy and beautiful ones.
The list of "Beautiful mosques" is headed by the Umayyad Temple in Damascus (Syria). It was built for a whole decade, and over twelve thousand people were involved in the work. The interiors are decorated with gold, mother-of-pearl and pearls. The building has an impressive size and a minaret of Jesus Christ. According to legend, the prophet (namely, the Muslims consider Jesus to be a prophet, calling him Isa) will descend here during his Second Coming for the final battle with evil forces.
The most beautiful mosques in the world: Iraq
Nine million gold coins - dinars (the weight of one was 4.27 grams of the precious metal) - were paid by the caliph for the construction of Al-Kazimein. The Golden Mosque in Baghdad was built for four years and is rightfully considered one of the best. Unfortunately, only believers of Islam can see this splendor: people who profess another religion will simply not be allowed in here.
The main shrine of Cairo
What a mosque is, you can understand by visiting the Sultan Hassan Mosque, located in the Egyptian capital. Its construction lasted six years - from 1356 to 1362. Two decades later, a sarcophagus with the body of the great ruler was placed here. It is interesting that it is in Cairo that the oldest school of the Arab world is located at this prayer house.
Symbol of Istanbul: Blue Mosque
One of the main visiting cards of the ancient capital of the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires is the Blue Mosque. It was named so because of the turquoise tiles that decorate the interiors of the temple. And it took a lot of it: about two hundred thousand pieces. The shrine was ordered to be built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmed at the age of nineteen. The legend says that in this way he wanted to pray for some serious sin.
The building turned out to be excellent, and the dome that crowned it has a diameter of 23.5 meters. There are also three dozen small domes located above the 26 granite columns of the courtyard. The Blue Mosque is very bright inside, as it has 260 windows. According to the canons of Islam, walls, ceilings and domes are decorated with quotations from the Koran, skillfully made by the famous master Seyid Kasym Bibari.
Instead of an afterword
The list of the most beautiful mosques in the world is endless. This is the delightful Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which can accommodate more than forty thousand believers, and the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, and the so-called Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem.
What is a mosque, they know in Russia, because representatives of different peoples and religious denominations live in this country. The "Heart of Chechnya" was built in 2008 in the center of Grozny by the son of Akhmat Kadyrov. The most beautiful building is similar to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, but has a special charm. Its walls are decorated with travertine and white marble, and the surahs from the Koran were applied with pure gold. In Kazan, at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, "Kul Sharif" appeared - an amazing temple that amazes with its unusual design, an abundance of windows and luxurious decoration.
Mosques are not only places of worship for performing religious rituals, but also beautiful original architectural monuments. The habitual appearance of most of them with round gambiz domes, arches and columns appeared as a result of their centuries-old history, having undergone a number of changes. The world's first mosques with flat roofs have been preserved.
1. Minimum images, maximum decor
The interior decoration of mosques is devoid of any divine images, there are only lines from the Koran. But the decorative elements amaze with their splendor - in this way the community demonstrates the wealth and luxury, the greatness of the rulers. If you raise your head up, you will see ceilings of amazing beauty. It's hard to describe them in words, you just have to see them.
Since the dome symbolizes the vault of heaven above the earth, the creators of mosques try to make them unique, putting their skill and respect for those they worship into them.
2. Style connection
The Ottoman style absorbed the architectural heritage of the Byzantine culture, which was creatively reworked and supplemented with new techniques. In particular, it has become customary to erect domes over the main prayer hall. In early traditions, they towered only over the part where the mihrab and qibla were located (a niche and a wall facing the Muslim shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca).
In ancient times, builders and architects showed miracles of ingenuity so that it was possible to build a large hemisphere on the basis of a quadrangular building. Several methods have been developed that have been successfully applied. In addition, it was necessary to find the appropriate material for construction. Depending on the natural features of the territory, these could be stones or bricks, wood with a copper or lead coating.
3. Improvement of technologies
Further unification of elements of different cultures led to the emergence of new architectural traditions. For example, the number of domes has changed - in addition to the huge hemisphere that covers the main hall, they began to supplement several small ones from different sides. Building technologies were improved, more modern materials were used.
Until now, the exquisite pattern of domes and walls makes speechless, leaving only a short exclamation in different languages of the world: “Oh, what a beauty!”.
Grandiose mosques in Muslim countries have been and remain a place of worship for followers of Islam and a must-have item in tourist programs. Their domes are visible from afar. If you are there, do not pass by, do not deprive yourself of the pleasure of enjoying the ingenious creations of human hands. And pay attention to the ceilings - you will get aesthetic pleasure, we assure you.
