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"I felt that this was a sacred cause": the last inactive historical mosque was opened in Kazan
“I felt it was a sacred thing”: Kazan’s last inactive historical mosque opens.
"Tourists will also be interested in visiting this mosque."
"This mosque has a very deep history," said Mufti of Tatarstan Kamil hazrat Samigullin during today's opening ceremony. "There is a work by Amirhan Yeniki called 'The Mosque is Crying.' It was written specifically about it. In Soviet times, when the mosque was closed, there were rumors that babies could be heard crying during Aksham (evening prayer - editor's note).
According to the plot, the main character, a young journalist, is assigned to write a report about an ancient building. The author leaves readers the opportunity to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the unusual phenomenon. Perhaps it was an owl that flew into the mosque. According to the mufti, Yeniki could not write differently in the Soviet Union.
“From this point of view, I think tourists will also be interested in visiting this mosque,” he concluded.
Today, the mullah's staff was handed over to the Imam-Khatib of the White Mosque, Farid Hazrat Salman. When asked if he felt help from above during the restoration process, he stressed:
- Anytime and anywhere! People are kind and responsive. They supported us when we asked for help. To everyone who took part in this noble cause, we thank you for leading the Republic of Tatarstan. They worked very easily. I felt that this was a sacred cause.
"A mosque is not just a place of worship."
During the work, specialists dismantled Soviet-era extensions, restored the mosque's historical appearance, and strengthened the foundation and soil. One of the most important steps was the restoration of the minaret, which was demolished during the Soviet era.
"Our Tatars assume that the mosque project is in the "Galeevskaya Mosque". A small element was also found here. The designers restored the design based on this color scheme," Farid hazrat Salman explained.
The area of the renovated mosque is 542 square meters. On the second floor there are two prayer rooms for men, and on the first floor there is a prayer room for women with a separate entrance. In the architecture of the monument one can see stylized forms of medieval Bulgarian and Tatar folk architecture, as well as elements of classical architecture. On the walls there are shamails with suras from the Koran and the names of the prophets.
In addition, during the work, a separate auxiliary building was built, including a toilet, a canteen and a boiler room. As Farid Hazrat Salman noted, the construction of new buildings in areas with historical buildings is not an easy task. Fortunately, we managed to obtain all the necessary documents.
The history of the White Mosque goes back hundreds of years. The first mosque appeared on this site in 1741. At that time, it was a wooden building. The stone mosque was built in 1801-1805 by merchant Gabdrakhim Valitov. He closed in 1928. During the Soviet era, the building changed owners several times. It housed a fur club, a school, and administrative buildings of a fur factory. The building was returned to believers only in 2002.
Before the opening ceremony, the guests performed a welcoming prayer in honor of the mosque. Then Kamil hazrat Samigullin read a sura from the Koran. The restored mosque has repeatedly wanted to accept more parishioners.
"Now both the older generation and the youth can come and pray on holidays, in difficult times, and in happy times. May God bless her. Good morning!" Rustam Minnikhanov concluded his speech with this wish.
- Please do it completely from now on. We know that the mosque is not just a place of worship. Nihas is read there, naming rites are performed, and various tasks are accomplished.
According to him, new mosques are currently being built, such as "Iske Tash", "Marjani", "Zakabannaya" and "Nurulla". Work is underway in both the Vysokogorsky and Kukmorsky districts of Tatarstan.
"Recently, Ivan Nikolaevich (Gushchin, Chairman of the RT Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage – editor's note) and I discussed the Nurlat district, the village of Kizlyau. The mosque is very old, wooden, and it is worth visiting. Many theologians studied in this city, in the Kizlyau madrasah." Kamil Hazrat said: