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The Tuba-Shahi Mosque (; ) is a former
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 Mardakan village of the Khazar district in
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
,
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 , the former mosque is included in the list of the historical and architectural monuments of local importance approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The former mosque was built not far from the Quadrangular Mardakan Castle dating from the
Shirvanshahs The Shirvanshahs (Arabic/) were the rulers of Shirvan (in present-day Azerbaijan) from 861 to 1538. The first ruling line were the Yazidids, an originally Arab and later Persianized dynasty, who became known as the Kasranids (also referred t ...
era. The mosque has a clearly defined volume in the form of a parallelepiped completed with a dome. The central part of the prayer hall is covered with a dome resting on sails. On four sides, the central prayer hall is adjoined by lateral rectangular rooms.


History

The mosque is named after Tuba Shahi, a woman who commissioned the construction of the edifice. The inscription on the mosque indicates that it was built in . Another inscription is located at the entrance to a narrow spiral staircase leading to the roof. This inscription belonged to an older mosque in the village, and indicated the time of that mosque's construction – Muharram – and carries the name of the funder, Sadr Haji Baha-ad-Din, son of Khoja Nur-ad-Din, son of Mahmud Abayil. Describing the sights of Absheron, I. Berezin wrote: M. A. Shikhaliyev and A. U. Yuzbashov note that at one time the mosque and the castle were the main buildings of the village where streets with one-story houses ran around them. The characteristic dome of the mosque stand out above the panorama of the village surrounded by two-story houses except for 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 ...
.


Architecture

The mosque has a clearly defined volume in the form of a parallelepiped being completed with a dome. On its plan, the mosque is approaching the shape of a square with the sides of . The central part of the prayer hall is covered with a dome resting on sails. The base of the dome hangs into the interior of the room as a shelf. The dome is supported by four massive stone pillars more than wide, which separate the prayer hall of the mosque from the other corner rooms. On four sides, the central square is adjoined by lateral rectangular rooms covered with stone vaults. In the corners, there are four small rectangular rooms connected to the prayer hall through lancet openings. The overlap of the first corner section adjacent to the entrance is made in the form of an ogival arch. The second section is covered similarly. The roof structure of the third section is made in the form of a dome on an octagonal base. And, finally, the ceiling of the fourth section has a star shape, formed by overlapping the overlying rows of the masonry. The portal of the mosque, located to the east, is solved in the form of a large ledge with a deep portal niche. The latter also has a star-shaped overlap of a rather complex pattern. Through the entrance portal, the visitor enters the corner section, and from here into the central premises of the mosque. The mosque itself was built from the local limestone with lime mortar. All four façades are lined with teska stone. The walls of the mosque are on average up to thick. Just like the façades, the surface of the walls inside is lined with pure stone. The outer generating the central dome has a lancet shape of a gentle outline. The twelve-sided drum on which the central dome rests is crowned with a small cornice. The described planned solution of the mosque, which is widespread in the mosques on Absheron, acquires a traditional approach and is often used for other types of structures, such as the turbe of the Shirvanshahs' Palace Complex of the 15th century, the "Khan's Country House" (14th century) in Nardaran, and other monuments with the only difference being marked by the entrance - designed in the form of a portal, either placed on the main axis of the building, or knocked down to one of the end sides. Among the monument's details are the window stone bars, which are a rather complex geometric ornament. Of all the openings, only two have the same lattice pattern. This kind of stone grating is characteristic to the Shirvan-Absheron architectural school and is often found in the monuments of Absheron both in the earlier periods and in the 15th century, such as the Mausoleum of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Shah Mosque, Gileyli Mosque in Baku, Diri Baba Mausoleum, Shamakhi Juma Mosque, and others.


See also

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Islam in Azerbaijan Islam is the majority religion in Azerbaijan, but the country is considered to be the most secular in the Muslim world. Various reports have estimated 97.3% (CIA, 2020) or 99.2% (Pew Research Center, 2006) of the population identifying as M ...
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List of mosques in Azerbaijan This is a list of mosques in Azerbaijan. See also * List of mosques in Asia * List of mosques in Baku References External links

{{List of mosques Mosques in Azerbaijan, Lists of mosques by country, Azerbaijan Lists of mosques ...
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List of mosques in Baku This is a list of notable mosques in Baku, Azerbaijan. {, class="wikitable sortable" , +Mosques in Baku ! Name !! Year completed !! Image !! Notes , - , Jinn Mosque , , align=center, , , , , , - , Takyeh (Old City, Baku) , , align=center, ...


References


External links

{{Baku landmarks 15th-century mosques in Azerbaijan Former mosques in Azerbaijan Buildings and structures completed in 1482 Monuments and memorials in Baku Mosque buildings with domes in Azerbaijan Mosques completed in the 1480s Mosques in Baku