Description of the attraction
The al-Marjani mosque is located in the Old Tatar settlement of Kazan. Sloboda is located on the coastal area of Lake Nizhniy Kaban.
The construction of the mosque began in 1766. The construction was approved by Catherine II during her visit to Kazan. The mosque was built at the expense of the parishioners. We raised 5,000 rubles. Al-Marjani became the first mosque built of stone in Kazan after the capture of the city by Ivan the Terrible. The construction was completed in 1770.
The mosque had two floors and a three-tiered minaret on the roof. The interior interiors combined elements of the "Petersburg" baroque and traditional decorative motives of the Tatars. It is assumed that the architect of the building was V. I.
Later, in 1861, an annex appeared at the mosque with a staircase on its north side. In 1885 the minaret was rebuilt, and in 1887 it was decorated with an openwork fence. The minaret has gilded arrowheads with crescents. The walls of the mosque are white. The roof is painted green. Architectural lighting turns on at night. The first floor is occupied by service premises. Prayer rooms are located on the second floor. Their walls and vaults are decorated with blue and green colored stucco moldings, as well as gilded ornaments on a floral theme. The mosque contains an ancient gravestone from the era of the Kazan Khanate.
The mosque got its name from Shigabutdin Mardzhani, the imam of the mosque in 1850-1889. Before it was called Yunusovskaya (by the name of the merchants who spent money on its maintenance) and Efendi i.e. Lord's. In Soviet times, Al-Marjani was the only functioning mosque in the city.
At present, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan is located in the complex of buildings of the mosque. Next to the mosque is the Kazan Islamic College, a Muslim literature store, a cafe and a halal grocery store.
The mosque was restored to celebrate the millennium of Kazan.
