Kul Sharif Mosque

The Kul Sharif Mosque, built in place of the old mosque of the Khanate of Kazan that was destroyed in 1552, is the great symbol of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan. The mosque was named after Kazan's last great Imam before Ivan the Terrible invaded and seized the city.

It is located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin, the historic and architectural ensemble of Kazan that is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kul Sharif Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Europe and the principal mosque of Kazan. It is the largest Muslim place of worship in Europe, serving as home to a rich collection of ancient books. It was named after a legendary Kul Sharif, the Imam of Khanate of Kazan and the hero of the Tatars, who lived in the 16th century.Originally, about 4 centuries ago, a legendary many-minaret Kul Sharif Mosque stood decorating the capital of Kazan Khanate. It was magnificent, graceful, beautiful and encompassed a rich library. The mosque carried the name of its last Imam Seid Kul Sharif, one of the Kazan defense leaders. It is believed that the mosque had 2 stories and 8 minarets, oriented towards the 8 parts of the world. When Ivan the Terrible captured the city, the mosque was burnt down and ruined together with other Muslim buildings of the Kazan Kremlin.
The reconstruction of the Kul Sharif Mosque began in 1996 and ended only in 2005, just in time for the 1000th anniversary of Kazan. During a Kul Sharif Mosque tour, you'll see that it is not a single building, it is a real complex that consists of three parts: a mosque, a memorial stone, and an administrative building. The entire complex occupies an area of almost 19 thousand square meters.

Kul Sharif Mosque
Kul Sharif is the biggest mosque in Russia built by year 2005 in Kazan city, Republic of Tatarstan named in honor of the Tatar national hero Kul Sharif.

Kul Sharif Mosque is the biggest mosque in Russia, one of the main mosques in Tatarstan named in honor of the Tatar national hero Kul Sharif. Unfortunately, from an ancient mosque there is nothing left but a few descriptions and drawings. The mosque was destroyed during the carrying by assault of Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. It is impossible even to determine the place where the mosque stood. The decision to re-establish an ancient mosque was taken in 1995. Foundation stone ceremony took place on February 21, 1996. Designing process of the building lasted from 1998 to 2001. By 2005, the date of commemorating the millennium of Kazan, Kul Sharif Mosque was built in the territory of the historical complex of the Kazan Kremlin according to the project of Tatinvestgrazhdanproekt team of architects. The cost of the mosque construction from the zero cycle (demolition of the worn-out buildings located at the site, connecting the communications, etc.) up to the interior design amounts more that 400 million rubles (10 million Euro). Construction was carried out with the sponsorship and budgetary funds. It can be therefore said that the reconstruction of the mosque has become a truly national case.The mosque is located in the western part of the Kazan Kremlin and composes a symmetrical composition with the building of the mosque itself in the center and two pavilions from both sides. Total area of the site which is occupied by the mosque complex is 19.000 square meters. Height of dome is 39 meters, height of minarets is 57 meters. The interior of the mosque is designed for 1.500 people.

The square in front of the mosque can accommodate another 10.000 people. The mosque complex includes a building of the mosque, a museum, a library, a publishing center and Imam administration.