The main occupation of Tatars was traditional for Moslems kinds of activity: small trading and wholesale, handcraft. The amount of Tatars was growing up. So in 1869 it was 2000 people, in 1910 already 8 000 without solders and sailors.

However, for a long time in the capital of Russia there was not a mosque. For beginning of 20th century it was registered 6 000 of Moslems advents in town. In every advent was opened prayer's house. The famous of them was at Nevskiy pr.,185 in house of merchant Kalugin. In 1882 the major leader of Moslems Muftiy of Orenburg Tevkelev turned to minister graf Toltoy with requirement and was given his agreement. However, only in 1906 Minister premised to set the special committee of persons who were in charge to collect the money in sum of 750 000 rubles for the time of 10 years. Ahun Ataulla Bayazitov was headed this committee and he was famous capital's religious figure. It was organized collections in towns and providences of Russia. The donations had been received from rich sponsors. Far addition the committee input securities in total amount of 142 000 rub. and also stamps with the view of mosque's project. The general aide-de-camp Said Abdoul Ahad Amir Buharskiy took all expenses to pay the place for building.

The place of future mosque was very symbolic and successful. It was decided to build on the contrary of Peter and Paul's Fortress in the very center of city, so to say it in the town's heart. And the Moslems as their temple hold the deserved place in the society.

The permission on buying place was singed by the Emperor Nikolay the Second in Peterhoff on 3rd July 1907. autumn on the next year the committee had approved the project by architecture Nikolay Vasiliev, the engineer Stepan Krichinskiy, which was made under the head of academic Alexander von Gogen. In the base of idea the inside and outside were taken from style of Central Asian's Mosque of Tamerlan's epoch. The facade was planed to make from combining woth rich oriental ornaments and mosaic of turquoise blue color.

3rd of February 1910 the ceremony of laying capital mosque had taken place. The government, religious and social figures were present here: Amir Buharskiy, Harusin, Novikov, ambassadors of Turkey and Percy, Orenburg's Muftiy Sultanov, the haed of Moslems party in Gos Duma Tevkelev.

This ceremony was performed by Ahun Bayazitov.

Аtaula Bayazitov - reformer, expert on Islamic studding, the main initiator of construction the St. Petersburg's mosque. In 1905 he began to issue in St. Petersburg first in Russia the newspaper "Nur" on the Kazan dialect. Аhun freely spoke many east and European languages, wrote on Russian, Arabian, tatar and farsi.

In 1913 it was held official opening of a mosque and in its(her) walls first was read pray. However the furnish of internal interiors proceeded up to 20 years. In the completed kind of a wall of a mosque were mady by a grey granite. The dome and both minarets (tower) are covered with mosaic ceramics of sky-light-blue colour, the skilful foremen - mosaic from Central Asia took part in work above them. The facades are decorated with sayings from Koran and are executed characteristic Arabian calligraphy , and the internal columns are made by a green marble. At the center of a hall, under a dome, the huge luster with minted from metal the ayats from Koran. Above western part of a hall on the second floor the massive gallery with a most thin metal grid towers, through which from the part of gallery it is well visible to a hall, but it is completely impenetrable on the part of a hall. In this room the woman pray. Floor, at one time was covered by a huge carpet weaved in the Central Asian foremen for the special order. In the Soviet period the carpet was disappeared.

The history of our mosque in the Soviet time is more poorly: at the end of 30 years it was closed and there had placed warehouses of medicines and other utensils. After the war there was total disorder. Eventually, in 1956 the temple was turned to the believers in an emergency conditions. The decision of authorities on complex restoration of a mosque was accepted in 1980. One is necessary to note, that the Cathedral Mosque in St.-Petersburg is largest in Europe and most northern in the world. It has follows characteristics: length of 45 meters, width - 32, height of the main dome of -39, heights of towers - 48 meters. It contains up to five thousand the man.

The St.-Petersburg mosque was opened up to the end 1940. Then it was closed and is transformed into a warehouse. Already after Great War on the request of believers in 1956 the mosque was given to Moslem community of city. For a long time the mosque was used on another purposes, and also the extremely changeable climatic conditions have had badly destroyed effect on the mosque.

For the time of Moslem holidays Id al Adha and Id al Fitr all Moslems can not be placed inside and read their pray in the street. It is obvious necessity of construction of a new mosque. All people can not visit and all the most part of day the mosque is closed. Besides this everyone can not arrive on Friday Pray in a mosque during a short lunch break from different parts of city. Moslems of St.-Petersburg hope on grace of Allah and ask Him the amount of mosques and truth Moslems will increase both in our city, and in others parts of the world.

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