The old Moscow Cathedral Mosque on Mira Avenue was remembered by the residents of the city for its incredible popularity during the days of the main Muslim celebrations - Kurban Bayram and Uraza Bayram. These days, the surrounding neighborhoods overlapped and were filled with thousands of worshipers.
And this is not surprising. The former temple building was significantly inferior in size to the current one. Today, Moskovskaya Sobornaya Mosque is one of the most interesting architectural objects of the capital. Its tall minarets are visible far beyond Olympic Avenue.
First mosque
More than a hundred years ago, a mosque was located on the site of the current magnificent building. Moscow Cathedral Church was erected in 1904. The building will be constructed according to the project of the Moscow architect Nikolai Zhukov, mainly at the expense of the well-known philanthropist, merchant Salikh Erzin. 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 thank-you telegram for helping the front during the Second World War. In addition, the visits of famous leaders of Muslim states in the postwar 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 stopped by at some advanced enterprise, and without fail at a mosque.
Interesting Facts
Visits of distinguished guests to the mosque were rather 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 was no youth in the temple in the prayer hall, where you can buy religious literature in Moscow, offered mosques financial assistance.
The Iranians left portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini in the mosque on the windowsill, invited the imam of the Moscow mosque A. Mustafin to come to Tehran, although neither the Soviet Union in general nor Muslim religious leaders in particular had decided on the Islamic revolution by that time.
Nevertheless, it was thanks to the international status of the mosque that it was preserved. This allowed open prayers in the Soviet capital. Imams of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque became frequent guests at government receptions.
Imams of the mosque
Among the imams who served in the mosque at different times, the following should be distinguished: Bedretdin Alimov (the first imam), Safu Alimov, Abdulvadud Fattakhetdinov, Ismail Mushtarii, Akhmetzyan Mustafin Rizautdin Basyrov, Ravil Gainutdin, Rais Bilyalutov, Ildar.
Today there are six imams in the temple. Ildar Alyautdinov - the main imam of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. Mustafa Kyutukchyu, Rais Bilyalov, Anas Sadretdinov, Islam Zaripov and Vais Bilyaletdinov, the oldest imam (30 years of service), help him. In Soviet times, it was the only mosque in the city that did not stop its work and regularly held divine services.
The construction of a new temple
By the end of the twentieth century, the mosque was increasingly called a decrepit and in need of updating or reconstruction. Under this pretext, they tried to demolish the building on the eve of the Olympics-80, it was saved only by the interference of the Muslim community of Moscow and the ambassadors of some Arab countries.
At the beginning of the XXI century, the mosque received the status of a cultural heritage monument, but not for long. Soon the status was canceled, recognizing the construction as dilapidated and subject to demolition. In addition, by this time the mosque could no longer accommodate all believers even on Friday prayers.
In 2011, the old building was completely dismantled. For several years, prayers were held in temporary premises. The construction was accompanied by numerous judicial trials between the authors of the project Alexei Kolenteyev and Ilyas Tazhiev with the customer, represented by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims. Nevertheless, in 2005 it was decided to carry out a large-scale reconstruction. And in 2011, the construction of the new mosque began on the project of Alexei Kolenteev and Ilyas Tazhiev.
Moscow Cathedral Mosque: opening
September 23, 2015 the 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 gathered many guests. The 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 around the world.
Construction cost
The Mufti Council said that Moskovskaya Sobornaya Mosque was built for $ 170 million. This huge amount includes donations from ordinary believers, as well as funds from large entrepreneurs. A book was released in their honor, all benefactors are listed by name.
The current mosque can hardly be called a reconstructed structure. After all, only tiny fragments of walls remained from the old building.
Architecture
Moskovskaya Sobornaya Mosque occupies a huge area - 18,900 square meters (before reconstruction it was 964 sq. M). To strengthen the structure, 131 piles were driven into its base, as the metro line was laid nearby and the underground Neglinka river carries its waters.
In the architectural complex of the new mosque, several cultural and historical references are visible. For example, the main minarets, whose height is more than 70 meters, resemble in their form the Spassky Tower of the Moscow Kremlin in the capital and the leaning tower of Syuyumbike of the Kazan Kremlin. This is no coincidence. Architects resorted to such a solution 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, surprisingly harmoniously combines with the general appearance of the "golden-domed" of Moscow. The architects and the original appearance of the mosque took into account. Fragments of the old walls were re-assembled, and they successfully fit into the new interior, while maintaining their former appearance. The top of one minaret is crowned with a crescent moon, which at one time adorned the old building.
Mosque Moscow Cathedral has certain features of the Byzantine style. A magnificent six-story building is crowned with various sizes of minarets, domes and towers. The area of the new building was 20 times higher than the original version. Today, prayer halls for women and men accommodate about ten thousand believers. There are also special rooms for carrying out the ritual of washing, a large and comfortable hall for conferences and organization of meetings.
Leading Muslim imams conduct divine services in the new mosque, they also perform traditional rites.
Interior decoration
The Moscow Cathedral Mosque inside amazes guests with the luxury and magnificence of decoration. Exquisite patterns on the walls of the temple, thoughtful to the smallest detail decor elements fully comply with the traditions of Muslim architecture. The interior uses classic colors for Islam - green, emerald, white, blue.
The interior of the dome, like the walls and ceiling of the mosque, is decorated with murals. These are the sacred verses from the Koran, which were performed by Turkish masters. The Turkish government presented the cathedral mosque with magnificent front doors, unusual carpets (handmade) for the halls and luxurious crystal chandeliers.
The mosque is illuminated by more than three hundred and twenty lamps that 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 design weighs one and a half tons. It was created by fifty masters from Turkey for three months.
Travel Tips
It should be noted that it is not necessary to be a Muslim to see a mosque. Here, as in the mosques of Istanbul and other major cities, the doors are open for representatives of different religions. But certain rules must be followed.
Women should close their hair, and their clothes should be strict and closed. Before entering, shoes should be removed, and try not to disturb the worshipers.
Reviews
Many guests of the mosque, who knew the old building, note that the magnificence and luxury of the new building is amazing. And this applies not only to the architectural features of the complex, but also to its interior decoration. I am glad that everyone can enter the mosque (observing the rules), and get acquainted with Islam, its history and traditions.