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Haji Sultanali Mosque

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Haji Sultanali Mosque
Azerbaijani: Hacı Sultanəli məscidi
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
Location Baku
CountryAzerbaijan
Architecture
Architect(s)Zivar bay Ahmadbayov
StyleShirvan-Absheron School of Architecture
Founder1904
Completed1910

The Haji Sultanali Mosque (Azerbaijani: Hacı Sultanəli məscidi) is a historical-architectural monument dating back to the early 20th century, located in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The mosque was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of national importance by the decision No. 132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001.

About

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Early ages

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The Haji Sultanali Mosque was built in the beginning of the 20th century.[1][2] The architect of the mosque is Zivar bay Ahmadbayov.[3][4] The mosque was built on the initiative of the millionaire Haji Sultanali from 1904 to 1910.[5] It is located in the city of Baku, not far from the Nizami metro station. A grave of a Turkish soldier was discovered on the territory of the mosque.[6]

The mosque is two stories tall. The upper floor is designated for women, while the lower floor is for men. The mosque’s layout is square-shaped. The height of the mosque is 23 meters, and its minaret stands at 35 meters.[1] Initially, the mosque did not have a minaret,[7] but the current minaret was built between 1995 and 1996.[1] The dome is sky-colored and features 12 windows. The interior of the mosque is composed of 12 columns and arches.[8]

After the Soviet occupation, an official campaign against religion began in 1928. In December of that year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan handed over many mosques, churches, and synagogues to clubs for educational purposes. While there were 3,000 mosques in Azerbaijan in 1917, this number dropped to 1,700 in 1927 and to just 17 by 1933.[9] The Haji Sultanali Mosque was also closed for worship during this period. For a time, the building was used by the Special Scientific Production Workshop.[10] The first floor housed a production workshop, and the second floor was occupied by the Scientific Design Bureau. During the Soviet era, the mosque was also used by "Azkonsert." However, despite its use, the mosque's appearance and interior were not damaged.[10]

After independence

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After Azerbaijan regained its independence, the mosque was returned to the faithful for religious use. In April 2000, reconstruction and restoration work began on the mosque. The restoration was completed in October 2001, and the mosque was reopened. During the restoration, partitions of rooms that had been added later on the first floor were removed, and the surfaces of pilasters, cornices, the mihrab, and other elements were cleaned. The mezzanine floor that had been installed later was also dismantled. The brick floor, doors, and windows were cleaned of filling and paint, and restored.[10] The staircase leading to the second floor was rebuilt to fit the interior, wooden additions were removed, and the floor was covered with limestone. Later-added walls on the second floor were demolished and replaced with partitions made of gypsum or gypsum concrete. The north facade of the building was clad in limestone over a metal mesh frame.[10]

The mosque was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local significance by the decision No. 132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001.[11]

Interesting fact

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During excavation work carried out during the construction of the minaret, the grave of a soldier named Ahmad from the Islamic Army of the Caucasus was discovered beneath its foundation.[10][12] It is believed that the soldier died in 1918 during a battle with Armenian Dashnaks in an area then known as "Karamelni."[10] As a sign of respect for his soul, he was buried in the courtyard of the mosque.[10] During the construction process, the remains of the deceased were collected and reburied at the base of the minaret, and a memorial plaque was placed to honor him.[13]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Azərbaycan Respublikası Məscidlərinin Ensiklopediyası (PDF) (in Azerbaijani). Bakı: Beynəlxalq Əlhuda. 2001. p. 52. ISBN 964-8121-59-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-23.
  2. ^ Zahiroğlu, Elçin (2023-03-10). "Bakıda milyonçunun tarixi binası yerlə yeksan edilib - Video". axar.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  3. ^ Архитектурная энциклопедия Баку. Baku: Международная Академия Архитектуры Стран Востока. 1998. pp. 331–333.
  4. ^ Фатуллаев-Фигаров, Шамиль Сейфулла оглы. Архитектурная энциклопедия Баку. — Baku : Международная Академия Архитектуры Стран Востока, 1998. — P. 331—333.
  5. ^ S.Abdullayeva (September 24, 2013). "Azərbaycandakı məscidlər: mənəviyyat və tarixi-memarlıq abidələri" (in Azerbaijani). anl.az. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  6. ^ ""Hacı Sultanəli" məscidi" (in Azerbaijani). The State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on January 7, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  7. ^ "Старые мечети Баку (список)". Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  8. ^ "Bakı şəhəri Hacı Sultanəli məscidi". sirat.az. 2022-01-18. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  9. ^ Arif Yunusov (2004). Ислам в Азербайджане (PDF). Bakı: Zaman. p. 78. ISBN 9952-8052-0-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "Hacı Soltanəli Məscidi". irs.gov.az. Archived from the original on 2022-07-23. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  11. ^ "Azərbaycan Respublikası Nazirlər Kabinetinin 2001-ci il 2 avqust Tarixli 132 nömrəli qərarı ilə təsdiq edilmişdir" (PDF) (in Azerbaijani). mct.gov.az. 2001-08-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  12. ^ "Hacı Sultanəli" məscidi Archived 2020-01-07 at the Wayback Machine Azərbaycan Respublikası Dini Qurumlarla İş üzrə Dövlət Komitəsi (DQİDK)
  13. ^ "Hacı Sultanəli məscidi". scara.gov.az. 2020-04-05. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
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