Mosque kul sharif history. The Kul Sharif Mosque in Kazan is a symbol of the religious traditions of Tatarstan

Damir Iskhakov ,
Doctor of Historical Sciences

Kul Sharif(Tat. Qolşərif, Kolsharif) - imam, re-li-gi-oz-ny de-ya-tel of the 16th century, poet, one of the na-tsi-o-nal heroes of Tatar-sta -on, heading one of the parts of the city of Kazan in October 1552 against the Russians (in the course of Iva- on IV Groz-no-go). He died during the assault together with his-and-mi-spo-movement-no-ka-mi. In his honor, the Kul Sharif mosque was named, recently built on the site of the ruined old me-che-ti, near the walls of a swarm and Seid Kul Sharif fell in the battle.

Shi-ro-kuyu news-ness of Kul Sha-ri-fa in the last pe-ri-od of the su-stvo-va-nia of the Kazan-Khan Khanate is confirmed many is-th-ri-che-sky sources are waiting, and the same sve-de-niya, save-niv-shi-e-sya in the people -noy pa-mya-ti and generalized Shi-ga-but-di-nome Mar-ja-ni. Leaning on them, one can argue that Kul Sha-rif in the khanate on the ka-nun of his pa-de-niya was the head of the mu-sul-man-sko th du-ho-ven-stva, upper-hov-ny se-id. An-drey Kurb-sky, describe-sy-vaya epi-zod, connected with the capture of the Russian army Ka-za-ni in 1552, calls him in the European way “ve-li-kim bis-ku-pom”, that is, epi-sko-pom, and add-la-et that the ta-ta-ry themselves consider-ta- yut Kul Sha-ri-fa "ve-li-kim ana-ryi", or "ami-rum".

The word "amir" is translated from Arabic as "po-ve-li-tel", or "ru-ko-vo-di-tel". But in the first case, Kurbsky clearly used the la-tyn: "honor" - honor, even, honor or "honorus" - even, respect zh-e-my. It seems that these you-ra-zhe-niya with-me-not-us them for re-re-vo-da ti-tu-la ver-hov-no-go se-ida, someone -ry, according to Mar-ja-ni, sounded like “na-ky-bel-ash-raf” - “ru-ko-vo-di-tel ve-li-kih”.

As from-west-no, se-ida-mi in the mu-sul-man world on-zy-wa-li in-tom-kov pro-ro-ka Mu-ham-ma-da from vet-vi, rise to his grandson Hu-sei-nu. Obviously, and Kul Sha-reef, being a se-id on pro-is-hoj-de-ny, raised his clan to Mu-ham-ma-du. Recently, about-on-ru-women-naya and pub-li-ko-van-naya whether-te-ra-tu-ro-ve-house M. I. Ah-met-zya-no-vym ge- not-a-logia se-id Sha-ku-lo-vyh from Ka-si-mov-sko-go-khan-stvo ka-zy-va-et that she is really-but what -cut many in-co-le-niya rises to Hu-sei-nu and Mu-ham-ma-du. Consequently, the involvement of Kul Sha-ri-fa by birth with the se-ids was not vy-mys-len-noy, but re-al-noy.

In the XV-XVI centuries, in each del-ta-tar khanate, there could be several se-ids, only one of them was hov-nym (S. Ger-ber-shtein, author of “For-pi-juice about the Moscow-co-vit-sky de-lahs”, from-me-cha-et on-li-chee in Kazan -sky khan-stve "ver-hov-no-th priest"). In the Kazan Khanate, such a seid, as seen from the zha-lo-van-noy gra-mo-you of Khan Sa-hib-Gi-rey of 1523, had no-val-sya " su-dat-gee-zam ”(sa-da-ti-go-zam), which is re-vo-dit-sya as“ ve-li-ky seid. There is an os-no-va-niya in la-gat that Kul Sha-rif became the ver-hov-nym (ve-li-kim) se-id in the state-su-dar-stve in October 1551 years after the kaz-ni khan-nom Shah-Ali of the former top-hov-no-go se-id Kul Mu-ham-ma-da *. By that time, Kul Sha-rif was already a well-known state-su-gift-de-i-tel, as evidenced by his presence di nobility of the khanate, attached to the allegiance to Khan Shah-Ali on August 14, 1551 in the Svi-yazh fortress.

Judging by what we know, Kul Sha-rif, like his predecessor Kul Mu-ham-mad, was from the clan of the Crimean se-ids. For some time he lived in the Ast-ra-Khan Khanate together with se-id Mans-ur, pre-lo-zhi-tel-but his father. From-here-yes he has ta-khal-lus "Haji-tar-ha-ni." M.I. av-to-rum so-chi-non-niy per-ri-o-da of Kazan-sko-go-khanate - “For-fer-na-me-and vi-lai-et-i Kazan "(1550) and verses-mu-na-d-zha-tov - in the first case called "Sha-ri-fom Hadji-tar-ha-ni", in the second -rom - “Kul Sha-ri-fom” - is a seid Kul Sha-rif. Indeed, Kul Sha-ri-fa, even after he became the supreme se-id, Russian is-toch-no-ki continued -no-wat "mul-loy". Didn't you-so-kay about-ra-zo-van-ness of him so-ra-zha-las in le-that-pi-syah? Maybe yes. At the same time, from “Za-fer-na-me-i-wi-lai-et-i-Kazan” from-chet-whether it’s visible that its author was all about ra-zo-van-nym man-lo-ve-com, about-la-give-know-no-I-mi in the field of ast-ro-no-mii, is-to-rii (not only Tatar, but also Russian), state affairs. In addition, in this pro-from-ve-de-nii, on-pi-san-nome in general, pro-zoy, quite a lot of e-ti-che lines . In a word, Kul Sha-rif (aka Sha-rif Haji-tar-ha-ni) was also in this.

Niyaz Khaziakhmetov. Poet Kul-Sharif

The epoch, in which the seid Kul Sharif lived, is the tragic time of the movement of the Kazan khanate to its hy- be-whether. The author of “For-fer-na-me-and vi-lai-et-i Kazan” left-fork in-tri-sa-yu-s-th lines, describe-sy-va-yu-shchy tra -ge-dia of his-e-on-ro-yes. He speaks about Ka-za-ni: “She has no place to wait for help and support, except for Ten-gri and for -mo-schi an-ge-lov. Because of such a heavy si-tu-a-tion pa-di-sha-hi go-ro-da Ka-za-ni provides-pe-chi-va-yut safety -e-go-su-dar-stva by way of co-gla-she-tion with the country of ka-fi-ditch. It was like this: for the sake of b-go-by-lu-chia on-ro-yes and for the sake of his life, for-the-key-cha-whether to-go-thief with Moscow, between two hundred -na-mi-ho-di-li in a word, obes-pe-chi-vaya vza-and-mo-po-no-ma-nie.

It was on-pee-sa-but in 1550, but already in April 1551, a new on-step-le-tion of the Russian troops, some in June about-stu-pi-li Kazan. Are there hard times, and Kazan-tsy drog-well-whether: they went to Shi-ga-lei and to vo-e-wo-ladies beat with a crowbar, so that the go-su-dar for-zh-lo-val, gave away his anger to them, but he didn’t command them to spit, but would give them for the go-su-dar -ship of King Shi-ga-lei, and Ute-mesh-Gi-rei took the king go-su-dar to him and from ma-te-riyu Syu-yun-bi-ka-tsa-ri-tseyu ”(Pat- ri-ar-shay le-to-pis). With such a pre-lo-zhe-ni-em to Khan Sha-x A-li and Russian vo-e-vo-ladies came-ez-zh-li "mul-la" Kul Sha-reef and tyu -men-sky "prince" Bibars Ras-tov. But they are the action-va-whether not sa-mo-sto-I-tel-but, but you-pol-nya-whether the will of "the whole land of Kazan", which is from-chet-li- in appearance, but from the gra-mo-you of Kazan-tsev, from-right-len-noy then Ivan IV.

Niyaz Khaziakhmetov. Syuyumbike

Niyaz Khaziakhmetov. Khan Safa Giray

In addition, according to the words, it was not immediately accepted the conditions of Moscow - in the letter-written communication of August 9, 1551, vo-rit-sya about the fact that during the time of the pe-re-go-ditch they “in many ways for-per-li-sya”, that is, they did not agree. The chronicler writes further about the ta-ta-rahs: “custom-tea was more of them from-na-cha-la lu-kav-stvo-va-ti.”

It was only possible to force the Kazan citizens to accept such difficult conditions only by force. And for-e-va-te-whether p-gro-zi-li: if ka-zan-tsy “do not teach on go-su-da-re-ve will ... for the same autumn ... go- su-dar ... ho-chet ra-tia with all the people. Only after such threats, after hearing the conditions of Moscow, among them, there was a requirement to give Syuyum-bi-ke with a sy -nom. It is clear that Kul Sha-ri-fa and the “prince-zem” Bibar-som did not have any personal fault in this - they are you-pol-nya-whether in common -stvennoe solution, and even then only as di-plo-ma-you.

Firinat Khalikov. The fall of Kazan on October 2, 1552: the last battle at the mosque of the Khan's palace

The upper seid Kul Sha-rif died during the capture of Ka-za-ni Rus-ski-mi in 1552. Mar-ja-ni, relying on the national pre-da-tion, reports that Kul Sha-reef with his-and-mi after-before-wa- te-la-mi, united-nen-us-mi in a special military sub-raz-de-le-nie - “regiment”, consisting of a hundred-yav-shi from mo-lo- the breath of der-vi-shey and soo-fi-ev, looked up from-step-pai, right up to the building of med-re-se, then climbed onto its roof where was for-to-lot, and fell down. So tra-gi-che-ski interrupted the life of this you-yes-y-u-sche-personal-sti of the epoch of the Kazan Khanate.

In “Za-fer-na-me-i vi-lai-et-i Kazan” there are such lines:

Oh, Sha-ri-fi, if you're still on the best neck, don't leave this earth,
For if you leave, who will be the sa-hi-bom of the go-ro-da Ka-za-ni?

Kazan defended itself for 41 days. Historians consider the defense of Kazan heroic. A little over 30,000 Yepanchi warriors and cavalry opposed the 150,000-strong army of Ivan the Terrible with the latest technical weapons.

The last king of Kazan Yediger-Khan (1552) and the head of the clergy so inspired the Kazan people that no one in the city even thought about surrendering the city.

Kazan was a sad sight after the slaughter ended, which did not stop on the streets of the city until late in the evening. In an unequal battle, all his defenders perished.

The capital of the Kazan Khanate lay in ruins and conflagrations.

During the assault on Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible, Seyid Kul Sharif was one of the leaders of the defense. With his students, he put up stubborn resistance and died heroically. All of his students died as well. The mosque was burned and destroyed. From the beautiful multi-minaret mosque of Kazan, proudly towering on the crest of the hill, there is no stone left unturned.

In his study, a prominent Tatar scholar, educator, philosopher Sh. Marjani wrote that in the fortress (Kremlin) there was an eight-minaret main (cathedral) mosque, headed by seid Sharifkol, a respected and honored religious figure, scientist, poet, diplomat. Four centuries ago, the legendary multi-minaret mosque Kul Sharif adorned the capital of the Kazan Khanate, striking everyone with its splendor, elegance, beauty, rich library. It was the center of religious education and development of the sciences of the Middle Volga region of the 16th century. It is named in honor of its last imam, Seyid Kul Sharif.

Kul Sharif is a historical figure whose name is inscribed in golden letters in the history of the Tatar people. He was a poet. Several poems and one poem have come down to us. They were included in a collection compiled by literary critic A. Sharipov and published in 1997 by the Tatar book publishing house under the title "Life is cruel, life is beautiful ...".

Kul Sharif was a prominent statesman and a skilled diplomat. In Russian chronicles, his name is mentioned as one of the most influential and respected religious figures. When Yadeger Khan took the throne, Kul Sharif joined the government and actively participated in the daily affairs of the khanate.

After the death of his father Mansur in 1546, he was appointed leader of the religious leaders of the khanate. A well-educated, morally pure and honest man, he enjoyed great respect in his homeland. He loved to ride through the streets of the city on his white horse. As a sign of deep respect, the Kazan people enthusiastically greeted him, deeply bowing to him. Even the Khan at the meeting got off his horse, kissed the hem of his chapan, wished him good health.

Kul Sharif was respected abroad as well. In this regard, it is significant that Sh. Mardzhani admitted that the Russian princes, maintaining contacts with the Kazan khans, sent him personal letters, as well as gifts.

Ilyas Faizullin. Defense of Kazan from the troops of Ivan the Terrible (Apotheosis)

And his death was truly heroic. During the most difficult days for the Tatar people, Kul Sharif led a group of mullahs and shakirds who put up desperate resistance against the invaders. The latter entered the Kremlin through his corpse. This is evidenced by the Russian statesman A.M. Kurbsky, who is by no means sympathetic to the Tatars: "The Tale of Prince Kurbsky", ed. second. - 1842, - 33 pages.

The researcher of the history of Kazan M. Khudyakov noted that in 1552 the head of the clergy was the son of Mansur Kul Sharif. He was considered the first person in the state and in moments of interregnum, and because of his high position became the head of the provisional government. He also carried out diplomatic missions. Diplomatic assignments demanded from him an outstanding education, deep mind and wide experience (essays on the history of the Kazan Khanate, Kazan, 1923, p. 152).

For centuries, the Tatar people kept the memory of their glorious son, the defender of the interests of their people. Poems, songs are composed about him, his image is recreated in historical novels.

During the years of unfolding democracy, the public raised the issue of restoring the Kul Sharif mosque. Going towards the age-old dream of the Tatar people, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan M. Sh. Shaimiev in November 1995 signed a Decree on the reconstruction of the Kul Sharif mosque.

Kul Sharif Mosque

Since then, the legendary image of the mosque and its leader, seid Kul Sharif, has been living in the memory of the people.

In the 16th century, the troops of Ivan the Terrible broke the resistance of the Kazan Khanate and captured Kazan. The main mosque of the Volga Bulgaria was burned to the ground. After more than 300 years, in 1995, the mosque was decided to be restored. It was restored by the whole world, the mosque was built mostly on donations. The Muslim shrine opened its doors in 2005.

About the mosque

In 1996, a symbolic sign - a stone - was placed on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. It marked the beginning of the construction of the temple. The words of the state decree on the construction of Kul-Sharif are inscribed on the stone. When they began to build the mosque, orienting it to Mecca, it turned out that the stone remained a little aside.

The shrine was named after the seid Kul-Sharif. He was the last imam of the Kazan Khanate who died while resisting the troops of Ivan the Terrible.

is one of the main attractions. Restored according to drawings, records, it strikes with royal luxury and grandeur.

Today this Muslim temple is part of the Kazan Kremlin historical reserve. You can get into the mosque for free. There you can also take scarves and capes.

Beauty and luxury Kul Sharif

The mosque was built of white marble. It has 8 minarets - towers, the crescents on top of which are facing towards Mecca, the main city of Muslims. The minarets are very high, 57 m. The main dome is turquoise. Its shape resembles the hat of the Kazan khans. The windows along the edge of the dome are shaped like a tulip flower - a symbol of new life in Islam.

The architecture itself is designed as if one square is inserted into another at an angle of 45 degrees. It is also a symbol of prosperity in Islam. The entrance arch is decorated with openwork.

The mosque consists of 5 tiers:

1. Museum of Islam
2. Guest Lounge
3. Prayer room for men
4. Women's Prayer Hall
5. Balconies for visitors - tourists.

The interior of the mosque

The mosque is made in light colors. This creates a feeling of airiness, festivity. The Museum of Islam contains the history of the development of Islam in Russia. There are ancient manuscripts, paintings, sculptures. In the guest hall, a miniature copy of the mosque on a pedestal is striking.

Reduced copy of the mosque

From the guest hall, doors lead to the main hall of the mosque - the male prayer hall. This is the largest room that can accommodate more than 1000 people. The floor is covered with handmade carpets from Iran. The stained glass windows are also made by hand. The hall impresses with its magnificence. On the ceiling is a huge two-ton chandelier made of Czech crystal, in which 300 lamps light up when turned on.

The ceiling was painted on canvases by Tatar artists, then the canvases were lifted up.

In the hall there is an elevation - the pulpit. The imam rises here while reading a collective prayer, addressing those who come. An office is equipped in the temple for the work of the imam.

On the walls, the names of the prophets of Allah are inscribed in panels. All 99 names of Allah are written here. The entire premises of the mosque are painted with openwork, excerpts from the holy book of Muslims, the Koran, and decorated with floral ornaments. Along the perimeter of the hall, snow-white columns support a balcony. The balcony is separated from the men's room by a patterned partition in the Arabic style.

Women are praying on the balcony. The capacity is 300 people. On non-holiday days, when there are few worshipers, women are allowed to pray in the men's hall, behind the men.

Above the women's hall there are balconies for tourists. This beautiful building has a special room for Muslim wedding ceremonies - nikah.

The rich architecture, the royalty and grandeur of the building, the history of the revival of the mosque, and its openness to tourists give the Kul-Sharif mosque the right to stand on a par with unique sights that everyone should see.

Where is Kul Sharif located?

Address: Kazan, st. Sheinkman (on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin).
Opening hours: daily from 9:00 to 18:00 (entry until 17:30), on Fridays from 12:00 to 14:00 break for prayer.

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It recreates the appearance of the main mosque of the Kazan Khanate, destroyed during the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible.

Seyid Kul Sharif

Kul Sharif was a seid, that is, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, a warrior, poet and thinker. He is credited with the authorship of the famous work "The Victory of the Kazan Vilayet", describing historical events 1550, when the army of the Khanate won a short-term victory over the Russians. But the author foresaw trouble, writing about Kazan: “She has nowhere to wait for help and support, except for the patronage of Tengri and the help of angels ...”

Already in the summer of 1551, Kazan was again encircled by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. The supreme seid Kul Sharif had to act as a diplomat and go to the Russian governors - to beat with his forehead about saving the city. As a result of difficult negotiations, the ambassadors accepted the conditions of Moscow, among which was the demand to extradite the ruler of Syuyumbike with her son. But the negotiations only delayed the attack of the Russian troops. In October 1552, after a grueling siege, the Russians went on the offensive and broke through the defenses of Kazan. The main battle took place at the walls of the mosque of the Khan's Kremlin. Folk legends say that Kul Sharif led a detachment of young dervishes and Sufis devoted to him and defended the fortress until, retreating, he was stabbed to death on the roof of the madrasah, from where he fell down.

The mosque was burned to the ground. But, according to legend, the outlines of that wooden mosque that burned down in the fire impressed the invaders so much that it was decided to perpetuate the memory of it in the guise of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, built in honor of the capture of Kazan. Chronicles report that the majestic cathedral mosque resembled the emir's palace "Kazyk Yorty". Around the dome, symbolizing the unified power of the khan, eight pointed minarets soared into the sky as a reminder of the eight provinces of the Volga Bulgaria. Their tops were crowned with silver steep-horned months - a symbol of the power of the Almighty.

Reconstruction of the mosque

In the mid-1990s, “in order to preserve historical continuity”, it was decided to recreate the majestic building as one of the main dominants of the Kazan Kremlin. Along with the Annunciation Cathedral, the Kul Sharif Mosque is a symbol of the reunification of the two main religions of Kazan - Orthodoxy and Islam, which was recognized as an important argument when the Kremlin was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Opened in 2005, the mosque is a symmetrical building, at the base of which are two squares intersected at an angle of 45 degrees: a famous Muslim symbol bismillah("In the name of Allah"). At the top of the structure of eight intersecting lancet arches rests a dome in the form of a Kazan cap - the crown of the khans, which is now stored in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin. Four main minarets 55 meters high and four small ones shine, like of old, with silver crescents. In addition to the mosque itself, the complex includes museums of the Islamic culture of the Volga region and ancient manuscripts, a library, a publishing center and the imam's office.

Address: Kremlin street, 13

Working hours: 9.00-19.30

Today, a magnificent architectural structure - the famous Kul-Sharif mosque is, perhaps, the most important visiting card of the city of Kazan. Located in a well-chosen place and installed in a very respectable perspective, the white marble mosque is perfectly visible from anywhere in the city as far as 20 km away, as if hovering over the walls of the ancient Kazan Kremlin.

Today, the mosque, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, has become a center of pilgrimage for Muslims from all over the world and one of the main tourist attractions of the city.

History of creation

In the 90s, the revival of previously lost religious historical buildings began in our country. Numerous new Orthodox temples, churches and cathedrals were resurrected from the ashes and new ones were built, and in Tatarstan, of course, a whole scattering of Muslim religious buildings appeared along with the Orthodox ones. Of course, that the main such structure becomes of amazing beauty. Kul Sharif Mosque, built on the western lands of the memorial Kremlin complex.

The mosque is being erected as a kind of monument to the tragic events of 1552, in October of which, during the storming of the Kazan fortress by numerous detachments of Ivan the Terrible, in bloody battles, the majority of the courageously defending population died the death of the brave. Died that day and the spiritual inspirer of the defense of the city Kul Sharif- Rector of the dominant mosque of the Kazan Khanate.

Today he is listed as a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammed and the mosque was named after him. Kul-Sharif for his time was a well-educated person who knew many sciences, including astronomy, was interested in history and politics.

All religious buildings of the Tatar Khanate after the conquest of Kazan and the establishment of Moscow's power gradually began to be destroyed, and instead they were erected Orthodox churches and monasteries. The population was subjected to forced baptism. The non-baptized surviving Tatar population was evicted across the Bulak River, where Tatar Sloboda preserving the Muslim traditions of the region.

In the 19th century, the famous Tatar educator and philosopher Sh.Marjani, as a result of his historical research, he managed to lift the foggy veil of centuries and recreated the historical picture of the Tatar period of Kazan. He wrote that the Kazan Kremlin once adorned main cathedral mosque, which was the center of Muslim education in the Volga region of the 16th century.

And now, after four and a half centuries, historical justice has been restored. The main Muslim mosque returned to the high Kremlin hill.

Architecture

The place for the construction of the most luxurious Kazan mosque was chosen very well. In the courtyard of the former cadet school, which was left behind the temple, and now zonally separates the territory of the mosque, in front - only the Kremlin walls and the descent from the Kremlin hill. The mosque, as it were, took off with its minarets over the hill, becoming the dominant feature of the city.

The designers perfectly fit the proportions of the mosque into the ensemble of the Kremlin's white-stone citadel, built by Pskov craftsmen in the middle of the 16th century. There is a large square in front of the mosque, which can accommodate up to 10,000 worshipers on holidays. On it is also memorial stone dedicated to the laying of the mosque, and fire station b, built in the style of the mosque itself.

The construction of the most beautiful mosque in the city was carried out in 1996-2005, mainly on voluntary donations. In one of the halls of the mosque today you can see books in which everyone who contributes funds for this monumental construction of the century is entered - which is more than forty thousand organizations and individuals.

The construction of the mosque, oriented precisely to Mecca, organized by two squares located relative to each other at an angle of 45 degrees. This is a repetition of the symbolic sign of Muslims - "blessing of Allah." The central eight-beam domed mosque is surrounded by four 55-meter minarets.

The main dome, according to the plan of its designers (Latypova Sh.Kh., Sattarova A.G., Safronova M.V. and Saifullin I.F.) was supposed to look like "Kazan hat"- the legendary crown of the Kazan khans. The mosque is lined with white Ural marble and granite slabs from the outside, and the central dome and minarets are turquoise. The appearance of the mosque repeats the Bulgar Al-Kabir Mosque- a symbol of the Volga Islam before the period of the Kazan Khanate.

In the design of window and doorways, traditional Muslim Bulgar architectural style was used. tulip motif signifying rebirth and prosperity. The arches of the windows are reminiscent of Tatar yurts, and the multi-colored stained-glass windows contain expressive Tatar ornaments and Arabic script.

The five-story building of the temple consists of three ground, basement and technical floors. Land-based ones are available for visits, which have a spacious lobby, a prayer hall for 1.5 thousand people, two balconies for sightseers, a publishing center, a museum-library and administrative premises.

In the interior decoration of the mosque used ceramics, painting, thread on wood and stone, Roman mosaic, verses Quran and 8 crescents. Many carpets decorating the interior were received as a gift from the Iranian authorities. And above the main hall of the mosque hangs a work of art - a Czech crystal chandelier, up to 5 meters in diameter and weighing more than 2 tons.

To enter and inspect the interior of the mosque, you need to follow only two basic rules of the faithful: take off your shoes at the entrance and cover your head. You can enter the mosque itself from the north, i.е. from the main prayer square,

and to visit Museum of Islam, you need to go around the mosque and enter from its south side.

The expositions of the museum, located in two halls, will acquaint you with the history of the Muslim religion itself, tell you about its penetration into the Volga region and its role in the life of social society.

You can also see religious Muslim attributes, such as rosaries or obligatory items for namaz (prayer). The museum stands exhibit many editions of the Koran and books of famous Tatar educators.

Today Kazan is not only one of the largest and beautiful cities Russia. It is also one of the cities with the richest cultural heritage. Kazan has retained not only its religion (and as everyone remembers, Christianity was forcibly imposed back in the time of Ivan the Terrible), but also traditions and cultural values. It is worth noting that the Kul Sharif mosque was named after the famous poet, politician of the 16th century.

Who is Kul Sharif?

To learn about this great man, you need to turn to the history of the Kazan Khanate. Seid Kul Sharif was not only a great warrior and poet. He was both a political leader and head of the Muslim clergy of the Tatar Khanate. Not only organized the defense in 1552, but also took a direct part. On October 2, 1552, during the siege of the troops of Ivan the Terrible, the entire city burned down and the last stronghold of the defenders, a multi-towered mosque, was destroyed along with the disciples of seid Kul Sharif. From scientific work the great explorer Sh. Marjani, it became known that on the territory of the burned-out Kremlin, the mosque under the leadership of Sharifkol was not only the center for the development of sciences in the Kazan Khanate, but also for the religious enlightenment of the entire Middle Volga region in the 16th century.

Revival of the Kul Sharif Mosque

Since the change of the political system in Russia, the Tatars of the whole world have raised the topic of the revival of the mosque as a symbol of the Muslim world. In 1995, at a high level, with the support of the people, a decision was made to restore it. It is safe to say that the modern mosque is not only a symbol of Islam, but also a revival of the culture of the Tatar Khanate. It is worth noting that the modern location of the mosque is made strictly on Mecca. The competition for restoration lasted almost 2 years. And in the spring of 1997, the foundation of the building was poured. The grand opening was held on June 24, 2005, before the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Kazan. The restoration of this cultural monument of the Tatar people took place only at the expense of donations from people, as well as organizations.

mosque architecture

The architecture of the mosque is worth noting separately. Anyone who has ever been to Kazan understands how majestic and beautiful this building is. In 2005, the Kul Sharif mosque in Kazan was added to the register of UNESCO heritage sites. This mosque is an integral part of the Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve. The temple complex itself consists, in fact, of 3 interconnected parts on the territory of the former Junker School. It includes:

• mosque;
• administrative building;
• a memorial stone that organically fit into the overall picture.

The designers tried not only to revive the thousand-year history of Tatar architecture, but also to add some new elements to the overall picture of this temple. The composition of the complex is also quite unusual. It represents mentally interconnected the main building of the mosque, which houses a huge prayer hall for 1.5 thousand people, an Islamic museum, an imam's residence and a Muslim publishing house. But also the fire department, which is made in the same artistic style as the mosque itself. The main domed building is framed by 4 minarets at the corners. Which, according to the architects, symbolizes the revival of the great Bulgar Khanate. Residents of Kazan claim that the minarets of their mosques are the highest in the world. Their height is 57 meters. There are 8 minarets on the Kul Sharif mosque, as it used to be on the Sharifkol temple, which burned down during the siege of the city.

No less majestic is the interior of the temple. All finishing and artistic works are made of Ural marble and serpentine. Inside the walls of the temple are decorated with verses from the Koran carved on stone. An integral symbol of the revival of Tatar culture is the presence of tulips in jewelry. At the opening of the mosque, many states, not only Islamic ones, presented rich gifts as a gift. So, Iran presented carpets rich in their splendor as a gift. The ceiling is decorated with a huge colored Czech glass chandelier. All interior decoration items are unique. They have many handmade items. This includes stone and wood carving, hand embroidery and more.

The Kul Sharif Mosque in Kazan is one of the main attractions of the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. It rightfully takes 1st place in the lists of visiting the main highlights of the city. When visiting the museum-reserve of the Kazan Kremlin, guests of the city must also visit the mosque. According to the laws of Islam, in the temple, a man and a woman can never be together, therefore, the female and male halves are precisely distinguished. And this applies not only to visiting the prayer hall, but also to the museum. At the exit from the mosque there is always a souvenir shop. You can buy gifts for family and friends there.

To this day, divine services and rituals are held in the mosque, in the great month of Ramadan you can attend the festive divine service, on this day the doors are open to everyone.

A moment of attention 🙂

Do not forget about all the excursions held in Kul Sharif. There are balconies for tourists, from which they can not only look at the decoration, but also listen to the story of the great Amir - Sharifkol.

This majestic temple complex is the jewel of the city. It organically complements the beauty of the museum. Anyone who has ever seen the night Kazan and the Kremlin is simply not able to forget this beauty. The greatness of the temple is very favorably emphasized by illumination in the dark. We can rightly say that looking at it, one creates a feeling of unreality of what he saw and the approach of a magical oriental fairy tale, which is so mesmerizing and alluring.

Near the territory of the Kazan Kremlin there is a huge number of hotels, hotels of various pricing policies, which is no less important for city guests.

Kazan is famous not only for the Kul Sharif mosque, but also for many other equally magnificent places, such as: Kazansky Arbat - st. Bauman, theater them. Galiaskara Kamala, the Kazan bowl - the new Wedding Palace, the Kazan Arena stadium, and more.

According to many tourists, Kazan is not only a city where you want to come again and again, but also a place where you always want to stay.