Mosquée centrale d'Almaty

Almaty Central Mosque (Almaty ortalyq meshiti/Алматы орталық мешіті, Centralnaya mechet Almaty/Центральная мечеть Алматы) is one of the largest mosques in Almaty, and in Kazakhstan. Designed for 7000 worshippers, it was built on the site of the old mosque that dated to 1890 and caught fire in 1987. The Central Mosque was built on the site of the old Tatar Mosque, which had functioned since 1890. The foundation of the mosque was poured in 1993, but construction was not completed until 1999. The architects of the project were Baimagambetov, Sharapiev and Zharylgapov. In 2000, the large dome was decorated with Koranic ayats performed by Turkish calligraphers; high quality sound-amplifying equipment was purchased. The entire first floor was renovated, a powerful air-conditioner was installed, the offices of the chief imam and the accountant were fitted out with modern equipment, the chairs in the Koran reading room were replaced with ones made of precious wood, a lawn of 1700 m2 was laid out. It is designed for 7 thousand visitors. The mosque is crowned with a dome with a diameter of 20 meters and a height of 36 meters. The mosque is a domed, rectangular building with a minaret stretching along the east-west axis. The mosque has a total (simultaneous) capacity of about 3,000 people. The main entrance of the building is designed in the form of a peshtak. The dome is set on a two-tiered drum - octahedron with arched window openings, passing into a cylinder, and lined with blue tiles. The motif of the main dome is repeated in the four corner guldastas. The walls are faced with white marble. The color mosaic decorates the drum of the main dome. On the portal inserts of the carved marble blocks. The canvas of the entrance oak doors is also covered with carving on motives of national ornaments. On the southeast corner there is a two-storey passage to the minaret with the height of 47 meters. In 2001, the building of the Republican Central Mosque was included in the State List of historical and cultural monuments of local importance in Almaty.