Baku Siniqqala Mosque (Muhammed Mosque)

Getting There

You can reach the mosque in the Old City by getting to the “Icherisheher” metro station or taking bus №5. If you use a bus, you need to get off at the stop “Puppet Theatre” and go straight for 5 minutes to reach the Old City and Maiden Tower. Siniqqala Mosque will be in the center of the Old City.

What to Expect

Upon entering the Siniqqala Mosque, expect to be transported through time and culture. The intricate Islamic architectural features showcase the mastery of design from the period. Visitors can immerse themselves in the mosque’s serene ambiance, appreciate its historical significance, and absorb the artistic nuances that define its structure.

Minaret adjoins new mosque, which was constructed on the basis of the older one’s plan. Trunk of the minaret is strong and slightly thinning. It is constructed from carefully drafted stone. Coarse and flat stalactites of tabling retain sherefe – muezzin’s balcony enclosed by stone plates. A ribbed dome completes the trunk of minaret. Narrow winding stairs are winded within the trunk. Ligature with Koranic inscription was traced under the tabling with archaic kufi alphabet.

History

The mosque is one of the oldest buildings in the Old city. According to scientists the mosque built in XI century by Ustad Rais Muhammad ibn Abubakir in a place of an ancient Zoroastrian temple and is a fine example of a cathedral mosque.

The monument suffered during artillery bombardment from the sea ordered by the Admiral of the Russian Fleet Matyushkin sent by Peter the Great to Baku on a reconnaissance mission and the top of the minaret of the mosque was broken away. After that the mosque is known among residents as “Siniqqala” – “broken tower”.

During archaeological research beneath a lower layer of the room were found the elements of pre-Islamic religious ceremonies. Found artefacts give ground to believe that the room was built just in the antique period.

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