The Sheki Juma Mosque (; ) is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

and historical architectural monument, located in the territory of the Yukhari Bash State Historical-Architectural Reserve in Sheki,

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. Completed in 1914, the mosque was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local importance by decision No. 132 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001. On July 7, 2019, as part of the "Khan's Palace, Sheki's Historical Center", the Sheki Juma Mosque was included in the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

History

Sheki Juma mosque was built between 1900 and 1914 in the Dabbagkhana (Tannery) quarter of Sheki. The mosque was built as a complex together with the madrasa and underground bath next to it. Based on the date engraved on the stone, it can be said that the construction of the mosque was completed in 1914 with the construction of an additional porch, cell and

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

. Later, a

madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning ...

was built next to the mosque. The madrasah is connected to the porch of the mosque.

After the Soviet occupation

After the

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into three differe ...

, they began to fight against religion at an official speed since 1928. In December of the same year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan handed over many mosques, churches and synagogues to clubs for use in educational purposes. If in 1917 there were 3,000 mosques in Azerbaijan, in 1927 this number was 1,700, and in 1933 it was 17. The minaret of Sheki Juma Mosque was also destroyed after the occupation. The building of the mosque was used as a sports school. To adapt the building to a gym, the inner balcony of the prayer hall was removed. In 1988, the building of the mosque burned down. In 1989, measurement works were carried out in the mosque and a restoration project was prepared. During the excavation in the prayer hall of the mosque, the place of the inner wall on the side of the porch was found, and the inner porch was restored together with this wall. Later, the windows closed with masonry were opened and restored based on the dimension lines. Four large columns were placed in the interior based on the project, and the

mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

of the mosque was restored.

After independence

The minaret of the mosque was designed based on a photograph found in the archive and restored to a height of from the foundation to the top. The restoration of the minaret was completed in 1991. The mosque was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local importance by decision No. 132 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 200. Since 2001, the historical part of the city of Sheki has been selected as a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 7, 2019, "Historical center of Sheki together with the Khan Palace" was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was made at the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held at the

Baku Congress Center Baku Convention Center is a multifunction complex located close to the City centre of Baku. The congress center has 17 conference halls with a total capacity of up to 2,500 people. Construction Construction of Baku Convention Center began i ...

. The Sheki Juma mosque, located in the historical center of the city of Sheki, is also included in the World Heritage Site. In 1993, the Sheki Islamic Madrasah was opened here by the instructions of the Sheki Executive Judge Chingiz Efendiyev. The madrasah was registered by the Ministry of Justice in 1996. Students studying here receive both religious and secular education.

Architecture

In the construction of the mosque, local construction materials, limestone and baked bricks were used. According to the planned structure, it consisted of an arched, columned hall, divided into sections with stones and trees, and allowed to cover the large passage in the building. The ten-step pulpit made of wood was decorated with netting. The minaret was built a few meters away from the mosque building. The minaret, which thins upwards, was decorated with brick masonry and relief patterns. The interior of the mosque is simple. It is used as a place of worship, and its cells as a madrasa. The N-shaped mosque complex has two floors. There is a prayer hall for women on the second floor. The main

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

is decorated with brick patterns.

Gallery

Entrance of Friday mosque complex in Shaki.JPG, Main façade of Friday mosque complex in Shaki.JPG Right façade of Friday mosque complex in Shaki.JPG Interior of Friday mosque complex in Shaki.JPG Mihrab in Friday mosque complex in Shaki.JPG Juma Mosque (Shaki)4.JPG

References

External links

{{Mosques in Azerbaijan 20th-century mosques in Azerbaijan Monuments and memorials in Azerbaijan Mosque buildings with minarets in Azerbaijan Mosques completed in 1914 Mosques in Shaki Palace of Shaki Khans