Moscow Historical Mosque (Moscow) | place with historical importance, listed building / architectural heritage, 1820s construction

 place with historical importance, mosque, listed building / architectural heritage, 1820s construction

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The stone mosque, known as the Historical Mosque, was built in 1823. Tsar Aleksandr I permitted its construction as a sign of gratitude to the Tatar and Bashkir cavalry that were the first to enter Paris in pursuit of Napoleon. When first built, it was impossible to tell that the building was not a private residence. This fulfilled the Moscow Governor-General's requirement that it "in no way should be constructed in the manner of a mosque, nor should it be called a mosque."

The present day appearance dates to renovations in 1881. Like many other religious institutions, the mosque was forced to close in 1937 and was permitted to reopen in 1993 after renovations that were funded by a Saudi Arabian sheik.