Where is the Kul Sharif building and why is it so popular with Muslim believers? You will find answers to the questions posed in the materials of the presented article.
Where is it located?
Building Kul Sharif (from the Tatar word “Kol Sharif məchete” or “Qol Şərif məçete”) is the main Jum mosque, which is located in the city of Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan). To be more precise, this temple is located on the territory of the Kremlin (Kazan), where many believers come on Muslim holidays.
History of the Kazan mosque
In 1552 (on October 2, to be exact), the Russian army led by Ivan the Terrible broke into the city of Kazan. Despite the desperate defense of the Tatar army under the command of seid Kul Sharif, during fierce battles, the multi-minaret mosque was completely burned out. After the assault, all its defenders, who became national heroes, also died.
Features of the mosque
Long after the capture of Kazan, the Tatar philosopher, educator and scientist Marjani conducted his own research, during which he found out that the Kremlin once housed a cathedral church. Seyid Sharifkol was at the head of the mosque, enjoying great honor and respect among others.religious figures.
More than four hundred years ago, a magnificent graceful mosque adorned the city of Kazan. Her beauty was indescribable, and the library contained thousands of unique writings. As you know, in his study, Sh. Marjani noted that this cathedral was not only the center of the development of sciences, but also the center of religious dedication of the Middle Volga region of the 16th century. They named the Kazan mosque in honor of seid Kul Sharif.
The decision to restore the mosque
After the destruction of the Kul Sharif building, many residents of Tatarstan dreamed of restoring it. But this happened only after the advent of democracy, when the public began to sharply raise the issue of building a once lost building.
Thus, in 1995, the President of the Republic Shamiev Sh. M. signed a Decree to recreate the Kul Sharif mosque. In the winter of the same year, a competition for the best project was announced. The place for this building was determined where the cadet school was once located.
In the spring of 1996, the competition was successfully completed, and in the summer the President of the Russian Federation B. N. Yeltsin arrived in Kazan, who approved the construction, and even promised to allocate funds for this.
Construction
The new mosque in Kazan, Kul Sharif, or rather, its architectural design was carried out by a large team that won the republican competition. Among them were such specialists as Latypov Sh. Kh., Sattarov A. G. Safronov M. V. and Saifullin I. F.
Construction of a new building inIt was mainly conducted on donations, in which about 40 thousand ordinary citizens and organizations took part. The cost of this project was estimated at 400 million rubles (according to the estimate - about 500 million rubles).
As a result of long and hard work, the new multi-minaret mosque was fully completed in 2005 (by the 1000th anniversary of the city of Kazan). Kul Sharif opened for visitors in the summer, June 24.
New Mosque
The newly built mosque is not just the most important mosque in Kazan, but is also one of the largest in Europe. Today Kul Sharif is a kind of symbol of the Republic of Tatarstan and its multi-million dollar capital. The mosque is one of the national images and an attractive center for all Muslims of the world. One cannot ignore the fact that not so long ago it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Architecture
Architects completely restored the structure of the building, trying to convey the beauty and grandeur that the temple had before the Russian troops attacked Kazan. The creators tried to return it to their native Tatar culture. The reconstruction of the building was of great cultural and historical significance. It symbolized the revival of Tatar statehood and the memory of the fallen defenders of the city.
The Kul Sharif Mosque (a photo of the building is presented in this article) consists of 4 main minarets, the height of which reaches 58 meters. The dome of the building was decorated in such forms that are associated with decorative details.and images of the “Kazan cap” (the so-called crown of the Kazan khans, which was taken to Moscow after the fall of the city).
Architectural and artistic design of the external appearance of the new mosque was achieved by specialists thanks to the development of those semantic elements that bring the appearance of the building closer to local Tatar traditions. Marble and granite for the construction of the structure were brought from the Urals. As for the interior decoration, it is as beautiful as the whole exterior of the mosque. Carpets were delivered and donated by the government of Iran, a crystal colored chandelier - up to five meters in diameter and weighing about 2 tons - was made in the Czech Republic. It is also worth noting that stucco, stained-glass windows, gilding and mosaics add a special grandeur and beauty to the temple.
Inside the mosque, or rather, to the left and right in relation to the main hall, there are two viewing balconies that are intended for sightseeing visits.
The Kul Sharif complex includes not only the religious building itself, but also a museum of history, as well as a room for such a wedding ceremony as nikah, and the office of the imam.
The whole building and its surroundings have a rather spectacular night illumination. By the way, the interior of the mosque can accommodate about 1.5 thousand people. As for the area in front of the mosque, it is designed for another ten thousand believers.
