The Imam Hussein Mosque (), also known as the Ashumov Mosque, is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

and historical architectural monument, located in the city of

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

, the capital of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. Completed in 1896, the former mosque was included in the list of local significant immovable historical and cultural monuments by the decision of the

Cabinet of Azerbaijan The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan () is the highest executive body of Azerbaijan, the executive and governing body over the ministries and other central executive bodies under the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan. A ...

on August 2, 2001, numbered 132. Following its restoration, the mosque continued to operate as a place of worship.

History

The mosque was built in 1896 by order of philanthropist Haji Hajibaba Hashimov (Ashumov). It is located on Abdulla Shaik Street, in the Yasamal District of Baku. The architect of the mosque is Adolf Eichler. After the

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into three differe ...

, they officially started to fight against religion in 1928. In December of the same year, the Central Committee of the

Communist Party of Azerbaijan The Azerbaijan Communist Party (; ) was the ruling political party in the Azerbaijan SSR, making it effectively a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It was formed on 20 February 1920, when the Muslim Social Democratic Party, ...

handed over many mosques, churches and synagogues to clubs for use in educational purposes. If there were 3,000 mosques in Azerbaijan in 1917, in 1927 this number was 1,700, and in 1933 it was 17. Imam Hussain mosque is also closed for worship during this period. In the early days, a warehouse and a small factory producing table lamps operated here. Since 1978, the Baku branch of the "Hiproteatr" institute has been located in the building of the mosque. Since 1988, the mosque has started functioning again at the initiative of the Tawba society. After Azerbaijan restored its independence, the mosque was included in the list of local significant immovable historical and cultural monuments by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the

Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russi ...

on August 2, 2001, numbered 132. Since 2010, the mosque has been actively engaged in religious activities under the state registration. In 2017, extensive renovation and restoration works began at the mosque. Additionally, a ceremony hall with a capacity of 130 people was constructed on the mosque's premises. In 2018, the mosque was reopened for the worship of the faithful.

Architecture

The mosque is located a bit behind the red line of the street and is surrounded by significant damage. Upon entering through the mosque's portal, there is initially a vestibule, followed by the three-nave structure of the prayer hall. The prayer hall extends along the length of the mosque and culminates with the

mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

. The profile of the supporting arches of the dome follows traditional patterns. While the

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

of the mosque shares common features with other minarets in the Baku- Absheron region, it stands out with its unique characteristics. A large gallery is located in front of the eastern

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

of the prayer hall. Large arched entrances open to the gallery. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, arched galleries were actively used on the facades of religious buildings in the Baku-Absheron region. This new architectural composition observed in the work of Baku architects was formed under the influence of the row of thrones in the Divankhana of the Shirvanshahs Palace Complex and the courtyard surrounding it. The same method was used by Gafar Ismayilov in the Kasim Bey Mosque, Zivar Beg Ahmadbayov in the Taza Pir and Ajdarbey Mosques. The architect Adolf Eichler used the methods and motifs applied in the construction of the famous Cordoba mosque in the solution of the facade architecture of the building. Its vertical pylons, complementary elements and architectural details were a source of inspiration for the architect.

References

External links

{{Baku landmarks 19th-century mosques in Azerbaijan Adolf Eichler buildings and structures Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan Mosque buildings with domes in Azerbaijan Mosque buildings with minarets in Azerbaijan Mosques completed in the 1890s Mosques in Baku Religious buildings and structures completed in 1896

History

Architecture

See also

References

External links