Мечети Крыма- Muslim Mosques of Crimea

The ancient land of Tavrida edged with the turquoise waters of the Black Sea is beautiful and unique. The link connecting first sett lers and us who live on the sunny peninsula today has stretched over the millennia. Crimea is common home for many nationalities living in this beautiful country. It hosts more than 80 nationalities, the largest of them being Russians, Crimean Tartars, and Ukrainians. The percentage of other ethnic groups – Byelorussians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Germans, Armenians, Karaites, Krymchaks and Hebrews is small but altogether they present unique unity of the ethnic and religious composition of Crimean land.

In the ancient times, population of Crimea was composed of Scythians, Taurus and Greeks. During this time, the cities of Panticapaeum, Chersonese, Kerkinitida and Scythian Naples were built here. In different eras, this area was populated by Romans, Byzantines and Genoeses. Tartars came to live here in 13 - 14th centuries. The number of people that increased after the annexation of Crimea to Russia reduced dramatically during the Crimean war in 1854 – 1855, when approximately 150 thousand Crimean Tartars and 5 thousand Nogaytsy left the peninsula. Out of 687 Crimean settlements, 315 were deserted. However, by early 20th century, the population of Crimea reached 545 thousand people with the largest percentage of state peasants including Russian and Ukrainian migrants. In 1913, the population reached 729 thousand people. By the beginning of the World War II the number almost doubled – 1 million 127 thousand people.

After the political storm that raged over the country, after the executions and repressions, after the times when thousands of people were sent to concentration camps in Germany, after the deportation of Tartars, Bulgarians, Greeks and other people the population of Crimea reduced almost by one third.

The highest growth rates were observed in the population of the peninsula in 1985 - 1993. Average annual growth rates over this period were – 1.5%. In 1990s, the number of Crimean Tartars increased seriously and reached 250 thousand pursuant to official data. The return of the Muslim component to Crimea set the foundation for restoration of the old cult structures of the Muslims and construction of the new ones. One of the restored mosques was Kebir-Jami mosque in Simferopol, the Capital City of Crimea. This mosque was not just the architectural monument of the 16th century but also the important city-forming facility of the former medieval settlement of Ak-Mechet.

Kebir-Jami was built in 1508, which fact was confirmed by the plate above the entrance written in Arabic language and indicating the year of construction. Kebir-Jami mosque is a prominent architectural monument in Simferopol and the oldest building in the city. The writing at the entrance made in Arabic language said: “This mosque was built for the Glory of the Mightiness of the Khan Sultan- Mengli-Girey Abdurakhmann-bin-Ali,may Allah forgive all sins of himself and his children in the month of Muharram in the year of nine hundred and fourteen”. This proved that the mosque was built in 1508. Later on, the mosque was rebuilt many times and its exterior changed significantly. In early 16th century, to the north from the ruins of Scythian Naples, a large city of Ak-Mechet was built in the Crimean Khanate. In 1508 (or 914 Hegria – by Muslim calendar), Kebir-Jami mosque was consecrated. It is thought that the white walls of the mosque gave the name to the medieval city of Ak-Mechet (White Mosque). Ak-Mechet was a rather large settlement by medieval standards. Ak-Mechet had the population of roughly 10,000 people not counting the visitors. Ak-Mechet had the residence of Kalga-Sultan, the second most important person in Crimean Khanate, after the Khan. Some of the houses had two and even three stories. The city had mosques, bazaars, hotels (khans), it was decorated with fountains and the life swarmed in this city.

At this time, Kebir-Jami is the main Friday mosque, Mufti’s residence and the central Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Crimea. Symbolic importance of the center for national movement of Crimean tartars was underscored by the fact that the cornerstone was laid in the beginning of the construction in late October 1991, by the Chairman of Crimean Tartars Majlis Mustafa Jamilev. The construction used funds of the Muslim community and everything that was based on the needs of the cult and religious life determined the solutions used by the architects. First of all this had an effect on the size of the mosque. Space of the oratory in Kebir-Jami built in the 16th century was small – 7 by 7 meters. This space was not enough for the congregation in Kebir-Jami during the period of time when Ak-Mechet (Akmejit) was a small Tartar town and then province inside Russian county, therefore during numerous reconstructions after the fires and destruction in the 17th-19th centuries these premises were extended on the account of the side wings and other additional buildings. The restoration architects who worked here in 1991-1994, based on the needs of central, Capital City mosque decided to sacrifice the exact shape of initial structure of Kebir-Jami and reproduce the dimensions of later construction periods. This was how the large rectangular hall was built (18 х 14 meters). Quick completion of this construction project was a requirement; therefore the things that had no sufficient financing to be made ideal were simplified.

For instance, the minaret of the mosque that was basically restored according to the 16th century design has simple metal railing instead of the original carved stone barrier around the open balcony. The roof of the building is quite special, too. On the outside, they built a false dome that resembles the classical silhouette of dome mosques of the early 16th century, however, on the inside, the ceiling is flat. The entire decoration and inventory on the interior including the high wooden mimbar and the fretwork of mihrab niche with stalactite ornaments were made by the congregation members who are enthusiast craftsmen and painters. This has its own advantages. It is fair to say that these were local people who restored Kebir-Jami on their own and that the renewed Kebir-Jami mosque at this time is the public and religious center for the entire Muslim population of Simferopol.

Marinas, i.e. yacht mooring berths are traditionally built not only in never freezing and well-located water areas. The essential condition for marinas construction is the existence of beaches that are attractive for tourists.

Well, nobody could invent a better place than Donuzlavskiy bay waters around Belyaus foreland. This place is ideal from the point of view of nautical art and the ancient heritage of this area improved with modern tourist achievements would break the indifference even in the most experienced travelers. Already at this time, a recreational complex is being designed that would have a well-developed social and technical infrastructure including a yachting club with mooring complex, fitting the purposes of servicing different types of vessels, administrative and technical center, conference hall, hotel complex, entertainment complex and cottages providing all-year-round comfortable accommodations for tourists.

Implementation of this project also serves the purpose of educing the number of “unorganized tourists” thus improving the ecological conditions in the region. Under no circumstances should the development of this region begin without fundamental resolution of the issues of local infrastructure, starting with transport routes and all the way down to waste disposal.

The unique design of Belyaus foreland marina complies with European construction standards. It has a number of designer, technology and architectural innovations providing the high level of environmental protection in the implementation of this project. At the same time, this project is focused on forming the infrastructure in the region, which so far has nothing except for the uniquely clean sea and exceptional beach. As for the tourist infrastructure, neither Yalta with suburbs, nor the East coast plan anything comparable to the designed marina at Belyaus. The following tourist services would be mandatory here: Bicycles, horseback riding, water skiing, wakeboarding, jet-ski, tourist guides, excursions, golf, carting, quadrocycles, swimming places on the beach, mini-golf, hunting, car rental offices, boat rental, parachute jumping, entertainment aircraft flights, fishing, sauna, tennis, and extreme sports. It is not impossible that this design could be improved even more.

The attractiveness of investment projects is characterized by many indicators the importance of which is hard to overestimate. In the event of classical type of development the architects take into account both the environmental factors, transport accessibility, infrastructure, ecological situation, proximity and quality of service companies and subjective factors like psychological comfort, attractive views and geographical location. However, when developing such places as Belyaus foreland, one has to stat from scratch, so to say. This is not about the improvement of the habitat by design methods but rather about keeping the balance between the recreational development and ecological stability of this unique resort area.

This marina construction project forms a part of the General Plan of development of Donuzlavskiy region including Belyaus foreland. Therefore, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this unprecedented project would be implemented successfully. When the project is there nobody would call Belyaus the “terra incognita” of Crimea.

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