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Zharkent Mosque

Zharkent, Kazakhstan

This unique wooden mosque resembling a Chinese pagoda was said to be built without the use of nails. The Zharkent mosque dates to around 1886, not long after the town was officially settled as a far-flung outpost of Tsarist Russia. Zharkent was a small Uighur settlement prior to official Russian township status and the mosque was sponsored by a wealthy local Uighur merchant, Valiakhun Yuldashev.

The mihrab (prayer niche) and original main entrance to the mosque are similar in style to Central Asian Islamic architecture found throughout Central Asia. But the minaret, mosque exterior, and minbar (pulpit) are more like Chinese pagodas in design and decoration. Many of those decorations feature plants and flowers, contravening Muslim rules that limit depictions of living things in religious buildings.

The museum is open most days from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for guided tours, but hours posted on the door may reflect changes. While guided tours seem to be required, your guide may only speak Russian and/or Kazakh.The museum is open most days from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for guided tours, but hours posted on the door may reflect changes. While guided tours seem to be required, your guide may only speak Russian and/or Kazakh.The entrance fee is there.

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