Semey Mosque

Semey Mosque, the Two‑tower Mosque – a monument of architecture included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Republican Significance. The two‑tower mosque was built in 1852‑1862. The authors of the building project are architect A. Bolbatov and engineer‑sub‑officer A. Manashev.

Description

The design dimensions of the brick‑built mosque building are 30 × 18 meters, total height – 28.65 meters. The main volume of the building is oriented to the southwest. The construction walls from the foundation to the cornice are faced with bricks that have patterned and relief decorative bands. Decorative bands defining the architectural‑artistic solution are applied along the entire perimeter of the building.

The main prayer hall is arranged as three large spaces. The ceiling of the hall ends with a dome. The mihrab, located in the altar area, is executed in a three‑sided angular shape and is oriented toward the direction of the Kaaba, i.e., the city of Mecca. The lighting and artistic solution of the main hall are provided by 14 rectangular windows with arched upper parts. The window frames are arched with stone lintels and edged with decorative patterns made of inlaid stone along the contour. The wooden lattice grilles resembling screens and the geometrical patterned metal grilles in the lower parts of the windows highlight artistic elements typical of Muslim art.

The building's main (portal) façade is architecturally and compositionally highlighted. A high entrance block raised by three staircases is crowned with a dome. The entrance portal is executed in a rectangular volume, finished with a triangular pediment and an eastern‑style tooth‑like cornice. The tympanum above the door opening is shaped like an arch, decorated with white radiant lights on the background of the main brickwork. On both sides of the door opening there are white columns with composite order elements, which serve as the visual support of the entablature. On both sides of the central entrance there are semi‑circular high windows defining the symmetrical structure of the façade.

In the roof part on the entrance side there are two towers that harmonize with the building's compositional structure. The towers are designed as circular, slender and tall structures. They can be accessed from the main hall through interior doors and staircases. Along the towers there are uninterrupted, arched windows that admit light. In the upper parts there are octagonal circular balconies with metal railings bearing plant ornamentation. The tower tops end with golden‑plated crescents (half‑moon) typical of traditional Muslim architecture.

Both domes of the building's main and portal sections are covered with a fish‑scale‑like gold‑plated coating. The dome tops end with half‑moon‑shaped traditional Muslim ornaments.

The underground floor was designed with a volume comparable to the above‑ground part and divided into four identical functional rooms. Each room is provided with two doors. These rooms are intended for household and storage purposes. Under the portal section there is an adjoining room that was previously used as a vestibule, whose entrance is currently closed. The vestibule may have been intended for storing communal property.

On the external side walls of the mosque there are doorways with stairs leading to the underground floor. Staircases rising from the interior rooms and passages to the towers complete the building’s functional structure.

The architectural‑artistic appearance of the building is characterized by the harmonious relationship of its individual elements. The main artistic solution is expressed in the tall cone‑shaped terminations of the towers, large window openings, the arch‑like and pointed arches that frame them, friezes, rusticated pilasters, decorative brickwork and relief bands. The combination of white architectural details with red brick defines the building’s distinctive architectural character.

The mosque area is surrounded by a brick wall, and its upper part is completed with an arched metal‑grid decorative fence.

Previously the building housed a branch of the regional historical‑ethnographic museum and a regional fine‑arts exhibition hall. In the architectural solution of the building, elements of Eastern and Muslim architecture find harmony with traditional brickwork techniques, defining its historical‑cultural and architectural value.

Historical data

Construction began in 1858 with the funds of the then‑famous merchants Suleimanov, Abdeshov, Rafiqov, Khalitov and was completed in 1862. In the State Historical Archive of Saint Petersburg, letters of the Muslims of Semey city requesting the construction of a new mosque to replace the previously burned‑down mosque are preserved. There it is stated that this mosque “would adorn the city and would be a religious center.” In 1897 the merchant Vasily Khalitov, at his own expense, replaced the wooden twin towers with brick ones, renovating the mosque. This mosque was already gradually being called the Stone Mosque at the beginning of the 19th century. During the Soviet period it was used for various public‑economic purposes.

It was reopened only on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Ulı Abaı in 1995. In total, throughout Kazakhstan there is only one mosque built with such luminous architecture that has two minarets. In 1999 the mosque was named after Änet Bába Kişikūly.

In 2002, with the support of the city administration, local entrepreneurs and the public, the two‑minaret mosque underwent extensive renovation. Preserving the original architectural design while being updated, this building became one of the historic attractions in the city of Semey.