Shafaqna English- A two-century-old mosque has been returned to the Muslim community in the Tyumen region of western Siberia, Russia, according to the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia.
The Kazarovo mosque was built in 1822 on the initiative of a Bukharan merchant and served local Muslims for more than a century before it was closed in 1929 during the Soviet period and converted into a school.
It continued as a school until 2020, when classes moved to a new building and the local Muslim community petitioned for the mosque’s return.
A key argument was an expert assessment confirming the building’s original religious purpose, noting that it contains a mihrab — the niche indicating the direction of Mecca — and is oriented toward the holy city.
Source: IQNA