Kilisa-mosque in Derbent

What to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting

Kilisa-mosque is a functioning quarter mosque and architectural monument in the old town of Derbent, located almost in the center of Magala on the shopping area. This is one of those attractions that tourists pass by without paying much attention to it and not even noticing a mosque in it. And this is not surprising, because there is little in its architecture that gives away the cult structure of Muslims. But with all this, this is a place with a rich history.

The exact time of the initial construction of the Kilis mosque is unknown. Indirectly, the century of its appearance is evidenced by architectural elements that are difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish. In particular, the portal has signs of Derbent architecture of the XVII-early XIX century. At the same time, the official tourist plaque on the building indicates that this is a mosque of the XI century, but we could not find any evidence of this from open sources.

Its name comes from the Turkish word "kilisa", which means "church". This name was given to the mosque because in the XIX century it was temporarily used as a garrison church. When Russian troops entered the city in 1806, there was a need for Christian rites, and since there was no suitable temple, the mosque was converted into a church. A cross was installed on the dome, and the building functioned as a garrison church for about thirty years.

After the cathedral church was built on the main square of the city, the military garrison was moved to the lower part of the city, and the need for a small church in the old town disappeared. However, the townspeople fought for another ten years to return the mosque building to the Muslim community, and only in 1866 it was decided to return the building to Muslims.

The mosque building has been in disrepair for fifteen years, which is why it has fallen into poor condition. The authorities entrusted the costs of restoring the mosque to the local Muslim community of Derbent, which, due to lack of funds, simplified the architecture of the building, refusing to restore the dome.

The mosque functioned until 1936, when it was closed by the decision of the Soviet authorities. For several decades the building stood abandoned and almost collapsed. Only in the mid-70s of the XX century the building was renovated and equipped as a museum of copper hammered ware. And only since 1994 the building has been used as a mosque again.

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• 📷 Search for excursions in Derbent on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 Search for excursions in Derbent on Tripster.ru