Husainia Mosque is one of the eight historical mosques in Orenburg. It was built at the end of the 19th century. Today, the Husainia Mosque in the city of Orenburg is the main religious and cultural center for the large Muslim community of the region.
Muslims in the Orenburg region
The unofficial name of Orenburg is “the Asian capital of Russia”. And this nickname, obviously, the city received not by chance. As you know, Orenburg was founded in the middle of the XVIII century with the aim of establishing diplomatic and trade relations between Russia and the peoples of Central Asia. Soon, a spacious market square was built across the Ural River for fairs. For a long time, the Tatars occupied the dominant position in the market life of Orenburg.
In the middle of the XIX century, about 3 thousand Muslims lived in the year. At the beginning of the last century, their total number grew to 37 thousand. Most of the Muslims of Orenburg were engaged in trade and craft production. They willingly sold meat, livestock, wool, flour, fresh and dried fruits to other citizens.
In the period until 1917, eight mosques were built in Orenburg. The oldest of them (Menovninskaya) was built back in 1785. It was a small square building with two minarets and one dome. In 1930, the religious building was demolished by the Soviet government.
Many historical shrines of Orenburg today are used for other purposes. Fortunately, the Husainia Mosque was returned to believers in the early 1990s. And today there are divine services. The minaret of the old building effectively rises above the historic city center.
Husainia Mosque (Orenburg, Orenburg Region): the history of the monastery
The appearance of a beautiful building on Kirova Street was due to the Tatar merchant and philanthropist Akhmed-bai Khusainov. He was a wealthy man. It was with his funds that the architect Korin designed the Husainia Mosque in Orenburg in 1892.
Khusainov was a famous person in the city. However, local authorities twice refused to build a mosque. On the third petition, the philanthropist still received approval from the city council. It happened on March 4, 1892. In less than two years, the mosque was fully prepared for operation. The architecture of the building traces the details of several European styles.
The parish of the newly erected mosque was composed of numerous Muslims of the city - artisans, merchants and small officials. The Husainia Mosque was closed in 1931. The building initially housed a dormitory of a pedagogical college. Later it was in the department of the local Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the summer of 1991, by decision of the city council deputies, the mosque was transferred to believers. The Muslims of the city immediately set about rebuilding their monastery.
Husainia Mosque and its current condition
In the early 90s, Muslims in the city looked with horror at what the mosque had turned into over the past 60 years. But by common efforts the order in the cloister was restored very quickly. The building was fully repaired, the yard was completely cleaned of accumulated debris. In April 1993, the first collective prayer was already read in the mosque. And a year later her minaret was decorated with a golden crescent.
Today, the mosque hosts a complete list of Muslim religious holidays and rites, as well as lessons on the basics of Islam. Today, the Husainia Mosque is one of the hallmarks of Orenburg. Often tourists visit it. They all note, although very modest, but very beautiful interior decoration of the temple. The mosque is open to visitors daily, from 8 am to 10:30 pm.
Husainia Madrasah at the mosque
A mosque in the city of Orenburg also has a madrassah (a traditional Muslim educational institution). It was also founded at the end of the 19th century on the initiative and with the money of Akhmed Khusainov. There was a 14-class training system in the madrasah. Classes were divided into three primary, four middle, four transitional and three higher.
Teaching was conducted according to a new method. In addition to traditional subjects, children studied the humanities and natural sciences (in particular, the Russian language). In the Husainia Madrasah there was a rich library in its content. Here you could find books and works in Tatar, Turkish, Russian and Arabic.
Finally
The Husainia Mosque is an important center of Muslim life not only in Orenburg, but also in the entire region. It was built in 1892. For a long time, the mosque did not fulfill its direct functions, but in the early 1990s it was returned to believers and restored.