Märcani Mosque
The Märcani Mosque [mærʑæˈni] (Cyrillic: Мәрҗани мәчете; formerly The First Cathedral Mosque, The Yunısovs' Mosque), also spelled Majani, Mardjani and Mardzhani is a mosque in Kazan, Russia, build in 1766-1770 by Catherine the Great's authority and on the city's population's donations. After several years of persecution of the Muslims in Imperial Russia the Märcani Mosque was the first mosque, built in Kazan. It is the oldest acting mosque in Tatarstan and it was an only mosque in Kazan escaped a close during the Soviet period.
The mosque was build in traditions of the Tatar medieval architecture combined with provincial baroque style. Believed, that the architect was Vasily Kaftyrev. The mosque is placed in Old Tatar Quarter (İske Tatar Bistäse) of Kazan at the bank of the lake Qaban.
Märcani Mosque is two-storied and has two halls. The interior is designed it The Petersburg Baroque style. In 1861 merchant İ. Ğ. Yunısov donated the constructing of addition and stairs, in 1863 he donated the extension of mirhab and the breaching of new window. That period the mosque was called Yunısovs' mosque after his family. In 1885 merchant Z. Ğosmanov donated the renovation of the minaret. In 1887 merchants W. Ğizzätullin and M. Wälişin added the tracery balcony to the minaret.
The mosque is currently named after Tatar scholar Şihabetdin Märcani, worked there as imam since 1850.
References
- (Tatar) "Märcani mäçete". Tatar Encyclopedia. (2002). Kazan: Tatarstan Republic Academy of Sciences Institution of the Tatar Encyclopaedia.
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