Tbilisi Mosque (Juma Mosque)

Tbilisi Mosque (Juma Mosque) is located in Old Tbilisi, below Narikala Fortress. It is currently the only Muslim shrine in the city. The first Sunni mosque was built here in 1723-1735 by the Ottomans. It was destroyed by the Persians in the 1740s. In 1846-1851, the building was rebuilt by architect Giovanni Scudieri, but by the end of the 19th century, in 1895, Baku-based millionaire and philanthropist Hajizinelabdin Tagiyev had completely renovated the mosque, significantly altering its eastern part. The brick building stands on a steep slope. The windows of the longitudinal walls are decorated with arches. In its architecture the neo-Gothic and Islamic elements are harmoniously combined. At the gate there is an octagonal minaret, which attracts attention from afar. The beautiful mosaic facade of the building attracts a lot of attention and attracts a lot of visitors. Tbilisi Mosque is Sunni, but today it serves both Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Until 1951, two people stood in the area, Shiites prayed in a blue mosque, and Sunnis prayed in Juma. The blue mosque was demolished during the construction of the Metekhi bridge. The Shiites had nowhere to go, and the Juma Mosque opened the door for them. Initially, the mosque was divided by a black curtain, with one side for Sunnis and the other for Shiites. Today, the interior space is no longer divided and the mosque is open to everyone.