Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque (Turkmen: Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Metjidi), or Gypjak Mosque,[a] is a mosque in Gypjak, Turkmenistan and the resting place for Saparmurat Niyazov, the leader of Turkmenistan from 1985 to 2006.[2] The mosque is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the capital, Ashgabat, on the M37 highway.
| Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque | |
|---|---|
Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Metjidi (Turkmen) | |
.jpg) | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Gypjak, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic |
| Completed | 2004 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 10,000 people[1] |
| Minaret(s) | 4 |
| Minaret height | 91 m (299 ft) |
| Materials | white marble |
Overview
edit
The mosque, constructed by the French company Bouygues, was built in the home town of President Saparmurat Niyazov. It opened on 22 October 2004, and was built by Nyýazow with a mausoleum in preparation for his death. Nyýazow died two years later, and was buried in the mausoleum on 24 December 2006.
The mosque has been at the center of controversy as scriptures from both the Quran and the Ruhnama (The Book of the Soul), Nyýazow's 'pseudo-spiritual guide to life' are built into the walls. It has outraged many Muslims that the Ruhnama is placed as the Koran's equal. Indeed, despite its capacity to accommodate 10,000 congregants, the mosque is often empty as the Ruhnama inscriptions are considered blasphemous by devout mosquegoers.[3][4]
Reconstruction
editThe major modernization of the mosque with a capacity of 10 thousand people was carried out in 2024. The mosque was opened after reconstruction in September 2024.[5]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Also spelled Kipchak Mosque.
References
edit- ^ Corley, Felix (4 January 2005). "TURKMENISTAN: 2004, the year of demolished mosques". Forum 18 News Service. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ Koch, Natalie (3 October 2016). "The 'Personality Cult' Problematic: Personalism and Mosques Memorializing the "Father of the Nation" in Turkmenistan and the UAE". Central Asian Affairs. 3 (4): 330–359. doi:10.1163/22142290-00304002 – via Brill.
- ^ Door to the Kipchak Mosque Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com). Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ [1]
38°1′4″N 58°15′10″E / 38.01778°N 58.25278°E
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