Feb/25

The Aimani-Khadzhi Kadyrova Mosque in Argun

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Architecture, Religion, Travel

The Aimani-Khadzhi Kadyrova Mosque, also known as “The Mother’s Heart” Mosque, is located in the town of Argun in the central part of the Chechen Republic, about 15 km east of Grozny. Opened on May 16, 2014, the mosque is named after the widow of Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov, the first president of the Chechen Republic.

Construction of the mosque began in the center of Argun, on the site of the former town mosque, in mid-January 2011. It was built according to the design of the Turkish architect Deniz Ceyhun Baykan. The Aimani-Khadzhi Kadyrova Mosque on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

The Aimani-Khadzhi Kadyrova Mosque is built in the high-tech style and is the first mosque in Russia built in an ultra-modern style. During the day, depending on the weather, the vaults of the mosque change shades of color – from light gray to turquoise-blue. At night, the mosque and adjacent areas are illuminated by multi-colored LED lamps and spotlights.

The Aimani-Khadzhi Kadyrova Mosque consists of four floors, three of which – under an oval dome – are intended for men. The upper tier of the mosque is reserved for women and has a separate entrance. The area of the mosque is 6,950 square meters, and a park adjoins the mosque.

Some residents of the Chechen Republic and the region as a whole criticized the decision to name the mosque after a woman. However, theologians and scholars, in turn, believe that there is a practice in Islam to name mosques after women. The ultra-modern appearance of the mosque also became the basis for criticism from some believers.

The walls of the mosque are decorated with marble. The oval vaults of the main prayer hall are crowned with a dome 23 meters high and 24 meters in diameter. Three minarets 55 meters high rise above its dome.