Haji Safarali Mosque

"Haji Safarali" mosque — a mosque in the settlement of Novkhani, Absheron district, Azerbaijan.

History

The mosque was built in 1865 by master Ağa Muhammad Qulu's son. Initially the mosque consisted of a small single-room prayer hall. In 1904, village resident Haji Safarali expanded it and constructed a large mosque. Adjacent to the west side of the mosque is a one-story madrasa. The struggle against places of worship did not spare the Safarali mosque, and in the 1930s the mosque was closed. The mosque building was used as a warehouse.

Despite the repressions, the people of Novkhani did not allow the complete destruction of the mosque and succeeded in converting the mosque into a grain warehouse. After a 60‑year hiatus, in 1988 the mosque was restored by the village believers and put back into use.

In the years of independence the mosque was renovated in accordance with Absheron's architectural traditions, and two minarets were additionally built. The mosque's area was landscaped, all technical issues needed by the believers were solved at a high level, and the reconstruction work was completed in 2007. The Safarali mosque complex is one of the most attractive religious sites in Absheron from an architectural point of view. The religious community operating in the mosque has been registered with the state.