This year’s celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria tells the international community that Islam in Russia has centuries-old history and is an integral part of the Russian identity. Every year new mosques emerge in the country; more and more people become acquainted with the true tenets of Islam, discarding all old prejudices and stereotypes. But where is the oldest mosque in Russia located? What milestones in its history has this mosque experienced?
Today’s article is dedicated to Juma Mosque, which is located in Derbent, in one of the most ancient cities in Russia. At the end of the 1920s, Decembrist writer Alexander Bestuzhev-Marlinsky described the Juma Mosque in the following way: ‘…A verse from the Quran burns above the main doors. Enter, and suddenly a kind of gloom envelopes you, an involuntary stillness of respect subdues you… The prayer of the faithful is murmured softly; kneeling or propped against the carpet, they are immersed in reverence; neither their ears nor their eyes are alerted to the objects around them. To the right and to the left there are two rows of arcades with lancet vaults, interwoven on the platform by the shadows of their pillars, go out into the gloom. Here and there, clusters of worshippers are slightly illuminated by the pale light that streams into the darkness through the small windows above. Swallows fly beneath the dome and soar up into the sky like words of prayers; everything breathes with the absence of the present…and brings a chill and dreary feeling to the weary heart’.
The Juma Mosque, which to this day attracts tourists and believers not only from different Russian regions, but also from other countries, was built in the VIII century. Above the entrance of the mosque one should pay attention to the inscription, which states that in 1368-1369 it was restored after an earthquake by a Baku resident Tajuddin. Already by 1815 the mosque had been expanded and the mosque complex had been completed. Unfortunately, in the 1930s the Juma Mosque was closed.
From this time on, the mosque began its new historical milestone. From 1938 to 1943, a city prison was located in the Muslim temple. And only in 1943, by the decision of Moscow, the mosque was returned to the faithful.
Today, the mosque is an entire complex which, apart from the temple itself, includes a small garden, a library and a madrasah consisting of several rooms. Interestingly, there are loggias in front of the entrance to each of these rooms, which create a beautiful and pleasing façade for the madrasah.
Incidentally, there are unique sycamore trees growing in the garden within the territory of the mosque. Local parishioners say that these trees were planted in the IX century by prominent scholar Abul-Qasim al-Junayd al-Baghdadi. The sycamores were planned to play one of the main roles in preserving the mosque from natural disasters, which these trees have been doing for centuries, consuming all the moisture from the ground. Due to this fact, the mosque is always dry and one need not fear the dampness which is fatal for the VIII century building. In addition to it, the powerful root system also keeps the ground firmly in place, thus protecting the building from strong earthquakes and other natural disasters.
As for the interior decoration of the mosque, a glance at the ceiling reveals the preserved old masonry. In general, the Juma Mosque consists of three parts, which are separated from each other by square pillars that support the building. The dome of the mosque is 17 meters high, and the dimensions of the mosque are 68 meters from west to east and 28 meters from north to south.
Two parallel rows of powerful columns, spanned by an arcade of domes and vaults and accentuated by the faint overhead light of small windows, create an impressive perspective of light and shade. The coloring of the brick vaults, the whitewashed walls and columns, the bright carpets covering the floor, the semi-darkness and coolness that reigns here even on a hot summer day, further emphasize the monumental solemnity of the interior.
Historians and archaeologists are convinced that even before the arrival of the Arabs and the penetration of Islam here, the temple had already existed, but in a slightly different role. With the spread of Islam, the building was transformed into a mosque, which is reflected in the entrance – one can enter the mosque only from the south, not from the north, as is customary. It is noteworthy that the Juma Mosque also has no minarets and is oriented to the east rather than towards Mecca.
Interestingly, Derbent has its Arabic name – Bab al-Abwab (‘Gate of the Gate’). It was through this ‘gate’ in about 642-644 (the 20s in accordance with the Muslim calendar) that envoys of the Muslim Caliph entered Derbent and subsequently converted the local population to Islam.
The year 2015 marked the 2000th anniversary of the founding of the city of Derbent and within the framework of the preparation for these celebrations, restoration work was carried out at the Juma Mosque.
Epochs would change each other, natural disasters would occur, generations of peoples would pass away, the city would change, but the Juma Mosque, like an impregnable fortress, exists today, having withstood all the challenges of the epoch. Despite its centuries-old history, the mosque has been well preserved. Its significance not only for Russian Muslims, but also for the world community is evidenced by the fact that the mosque is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage register.