Moscow Cathedral Mosque

The Moscow Cathedral Mosque is Moscow’s most prominent mosque, one of just four. Residing on Olimpiysky Avenue, close to the Olympic Stadium in the center of the city, the original structure was built in 1904 in accordance with designs drafted by architect Nikolay Zhukov.

Since its founding, it has undergone countless reconstructions and restorations. It is often referred to as the Tatar Mosque, as its congregation was made up of Tatars, the indigenous people of Crimea.

The original mosque was demolished in 2011, even though it was recognized as an object of cultural heritage in 2008. It remained protected for less than a year before losing its status as a heritage site. Some newer buildings on the site remained to be used for Muslim worship.

Plans were soon developed to reconstruct the original mosque, however. The final product corrected the original mosque’s problematic deviation from the direction to the Mecca, which is vital for Muslim prayer.

The new structure was officially inaugurated on September 23, 2015 and can now accommodate 10,000 worshipers.