The mosque, which we will talk about, is one of the most unusual, criticized, non-traditional - everything in it is non-standard, from the name to the appearance. To help you build up your own impression of her, we will try with this material.
Acquaintance with the mosque to them. Aimani Kadyrova in Argun
The mosque, named after Aimani Kadyrova, the wife of the first president of the Chechen Republic, Akhmad Kadyrov, was opened on May 16, 2014 in Argun, a Chechen city, on a street named after this statesman. And this is the first fact that makes this religious structure unusual - it is named after a woman. Although theologians and religious scholars argue that this is a typical phenomenon for Islam, many have been critical of the choice of such a naming convention.
This Sunni mosque belongs to the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Chechnya. Its total area is 24 thousand m 2 , the area of internal premises is almost 7 thousand m 2 . The maximum capacity is 15 thousand people. There is a library at the mosque. Suhur and Iftar (morning and evening meals in the month of Ramadan), taravih (namaz during Ramadan) are held.
The chief architect is D. Baikan, the construction was completed by the Inkomstroy company. This mosque of the Chechen Republic has one dome, three minarets (height - 55 meters).
History of the construction of a mosque
Money for the construction of a religious building was allocated by a public fund named after the first head of Chechnya. Argun city center was chosen as the place for construction. The author of the project was a Turkish architectural bureau led by Deniz Baikan, construction was also carried out by specialists of this country.
Work began in the middle of the first month of 2011 and lasted exactly 1238 days, ending in April 2014.
Opening of the Aimani Kadyrova Mosque
The opening of the mosque was originally planned to coincide with Victory Day in the Second World War, however, for several reasons, it took place somewhat later - on May 16, 2014. The delay did not harm the solemnity of the event - it was preceded by a large-scale marathon "From Heart to Heart" - more than 5 thousand Chechens and residents of other North Caucasian republics covered 16.4 km. The starting point of their route was the Grozny mosque "Heart of Chechnya", and the final - a mosque named after Aimani Kadyrova (its second name is "Mother’s Heart").
Before the opening, a dhikr was held - a religious ceremony consisting of repeated repetition of the prayer formula glorifying Allah. Then, the obligatory Friday Muslim prayer, the Juma Namaz, was held in the new mosque. It was attended by 15 thousand people.
Architectural features of the mosque
Mosque "Mother’s Heart" in the city of Argun captivates with its ultramodern and even somewhat futuristic appearance. And this is the first mosque in Russia, which was built in the style of hi-tech. This fact, by the way, was the second reason for criticizing the structure.
The walls of the building are decorated with travertine marble. Oval vaults are crowned by a 24-meter (in diameter) dome, rising 23 meters above the main prayer hall. The composition completes the composition of the three 55-meter minarets. Depending on the weather, during the day the Aimani Kadyrova mosque changes color from pale gray to bright blue, turquoise. And at night, it is amazing with its illumination - hundreds of multi-colored LED bulbs and spotlights.
The mosque is four floors high. The bottom three are for men, and the top is for women. A separate entrance leads to it. A modern park is set next to the mosque, and a grandiose composition in the form of the main symbol of Islam - a crescent and a star - is installed in front of the mosque. In the underground passage to the building you can get acquainted with the sayings of the great Muslim religious figures.
Interior decoration
The mosque named after Aimani Kadyrova inside is no less beautiful and amazing than outside. Looking up, the visitor will see a wonderfully illuminated engraving of the names of Allah on the dome. The grandiose crescent-shaped chandelier will not go unnoticed. Its diameter is 31 meters and its weight is 5 tons!
One cannot but admire the way the mihrab (here the imam is located during prayer) and the mimbar (the place where the imam reads the sermon) are elegantly and succinctly decorated. Everyone who visited here drew attention to the floor - it is covered with a beautiful soft oriental carpet with a high pile.
The mosque is open for free visits - it is enough to adhere to a number of simple rules accepted in Islam: different entrances for women and men, appropriate clothing (if there are no visitors, special wraps are given out), covered head, quiet conversations. Photo and video shooting is not prohibited here.
Mosque "Mother’s Heart" in Argun is a place that will be interesting not only to a believer. The collection of memories of any tourist will certainly be enriched if he gets into this very modern Russian mosque, whose external and internal decoration will amaze even the one who knew the great beauties of the world.