7, Magal St., 10, Derbent, Republic of Dagestan, Russia, 368600
According to historical data, in the spring of 732, a huge Arab army led by Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, whom the local historical chronicle "Derbent-name" and folk legends call Abu Muslim, appeared at the walls of Derbent, which at that time was controlled by the Khazars. As a result of a prolonged siege, Maslama managed to conquer Derbent. He converted the city's population to Islam and began the construction of mosques. Numerous written sources report the construction of the "great congregational mosque" in the 115th year of the Hijri calendar (733/4 AD) by the Arab commander Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, who conquered Derbent and is called Abu Muslim in the local historical chronicle "Derbend-name" and folk legends. The Juma Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the world and the oldest mosque in Russia.
The Juma Mosque is a rectangular building elongated from east to west. It has internal dimensions of 67 meters in length and 17 meters in width. The vault of the building rests on forty square columns arranged in two rows, dividing the building into three long naves. The Juma Mosque complex includes a madrasa, which consists of a series of small rooms of equal size for students. Derbent, mentioned in the holy Quran and sacred hadiths, was considered a "holy place" in Muslim tradition, and Muslim politicians rightly regarded this city as a stronghold of the Caliphate on the northern border and a center for the spread of Islam to northern territories. Therefore, it is quite natural that for such a large number of Arab settlers (24,000) and newly converted locals, as well as in accordance with Derbent's role in Muslim tradition and its significance in Caliphate politics, Maslama erected such a grand building as the Juma Mosque. In its volumetric and spatial composition, the Derbent Juma Mosque resembles early 8th-century Syrian Christian basilicas. This is because, in the early period of Islam's spread, the first mosques were often rebuilt from Christian temples. In this process, the elongated east-west three-nave Syrian Christian basilicas were effectively rotated 90°. The longitudinal naves became transverse, and the altar in the eastern end wall was replaced by a mihrab in the center of the southern longitudinal wall. For example, the Great Mosque of Damascus was rebuilt in the early 8th century from an ancient Christian basilica, which later became a model influencing religious architecture in several regions conquered by the Arabs.
The mosque's current appearance was formed by the end of the 14th century. The mosque, damaged by an earthquake, was rebuilt in 1368 by the architect ustad-banna Taj ad-Din al-Bakui. The prayer hall (70×20 m) is divided by two rows of columns connected by pointed arches. In the adjoining square hall, covered by a spherical dome with a pointed apex, is the mihrab. Along its axis in the central nave, there is also a domed room, apparently a maqsura — a place for representatives of the Shirvanshahs or local feudal lords. The mosque faces a spacious square paved with stone slabs, on the opposite side of which a large madrasa was built in the 15th century, facing it with a pointed arcade of hujras.
Construction of the madrasa began in 1474–1475. The number of mosques changed over time, and by 1796 there were 15 mosques in Derbent. In 1815, the expansion and formation of the entire mosque complex was completed. In the 1930s, the mosque was closed during the atheist campaign carried out throughout the USSR. From 1938 to 1943, it was converted into a city prison. In 1943, by decree from Moscow, the mosque was returned to the city's clergy with the right to continue using it for its intended purpose. During Soviet times, the Juma Mosque was the largest in the North Caucasus and remained the only one in all of Southern Dagestan until recent years. For this reason, believers from various districts of Southern Dagestan came to Derbent for Friday prayers.
After the mosque was returned in the 1940s, a mosque charter was developed and a board of 20 people was elected. The first chairman of the Juma Mosque board was Meshadi Ali-Hussein. The Sunni and Shia communities of the city have their own imams.
Since 1944, the mourning ceremony of Ashura has been resumed, held annually by Shias in the month of Muharram in mourning for Imam Hussein (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad), who was killed in the Battle of Karbala. During these days, Derbent Shias visit the mosque, distribute alms and sweets. Women mourn the imam and his companions, while men perform the ritual "Shahsei-Vahsei" using special whips shaped like chains.
In 2015, as part of preparations for the celebration of Derbent's 2000th anniversary, restoration work was carried out in the mosque.
Today, the Juma Mosque complex consists of the main mosque, a madrasa, and residential quarters for the clergy. At the time of its construction (733–734 AD), it was the largest building in the city. The mosque's dimensions are 68 meters from west to east and 28 meters from south to north. The dome's height is 17 meters.
The mosque's interior space consists of three naves separated by square columns with profiled capitals. The width of the central nave is 6.3 meters, and the side naves are 4 meters each. Pointed arches span between the columns. Despite its many centuries of history, the mosque is well preserved. The Juma Mosque is listed in the UNESCO cultural heritage register.
In the late 1820s, the Decembrist writer Alexander Bestuzhev-Marlinsky described the Juma Mosque as follows:
“...A verse from the Quran burns above the main doors. You enter, and suddenly a kind of twilight envelops you, involuntary silence of respect conquers you... The prayer of the faithful murmurs quietly; sitting on their knees or bowing to the carpet, they are immersed in reverence; neither hearing nor sight calls their attention to the surrounding objects. To the right and left, two rows of arcades with pointed vaults intertwine their column shadows on the platform, fading into the darkness. Here and there, groups of worshippers are faintly illuminated by pale light that has slipped through small windows above into the gloom. Swallows hover under the dome and fly into the sky like words of prayer; everything breathes the absence of the present... and evokes cool, comforting feelings in the weary heart.”
The mosque courtyard measures 55 by 45 meters. The courtyard is adorned by four old plane trees, by which the Juma Mosque can be recognized from any point in Derbent.
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