Azimov Mosque

It is one of the best mosques in Kazan in terms of architecture. A monument of Tatar cult architecture of the late 19th century in the style of eclecticism of national-romantic trend. The decorative design of the facades is dominated by Eastern Muslim motifs, which allowed the unknown architect to create a romantic image of the mosque. The perfection of the facades corresponds to the modern reconstruction of the interiors. A magnificent fence complements the architectural solution of the mosque. 
The construction was financed by merchant M.M. Azimov. One of the most beautiful mosques of the Old Tatar Sloboda is called Azimov (Azimovskaya) or Zavodskaya. The place is named that because workers from a nearby soap factory used to come here to pray. It is a gorgeous building with stained-glass windows, “Seljuk chain” patterns, lancet arches and stalactite cornice. The mosque has a three-tier minaret 51 meters high.
Most of the financial assistance for the construction of the Azimov Mosque was provided by the family of merchant Azimov, who at that time was one of the most famous and wealthy families in Kazan. Unfortunately, the name of the man who designed the mosque has not survived to our time.
During the times of the Soviet Union, the mosque, like a significant number of other religious institutions, was abandoned for a very long time, and when the building was opened, it was not used for its historical purpose. The mosque housed various public organizations, and for a while, the government met. Once there was even a school of projectionists functioning in the mosque, and thereafter – a real movie theater.
In 1990-1992, the mosque was reconstructed and restored according to the project of architect R.V. Bilyalov. On the territory of the mosque, there is a 2-storey madrasah building and a wooden mullah’s house. Today, Azimov Mosque is the center of attraction for Muslims of the whole city, as well as a beautiful architectural monument that attracts many tourists from different cities and countries.