"Lalya-Tulpan" (Bashkortostan) is the largest mosque and one of the symbols of the republic. It strikes all guests of Ufa not only with its size, but also with its unusual shape and original interior decoration, which is extremely rare for buildings of this type.
Mosque "Lyalya-Tulpan": how it all began
The dream of a large mosque, which could become a real cultural and educational center of Ufa and all of Bashkortostan, originated among local residents and the leadership of the republic back in the mid-1980s. As with any other of their projects, the Bashkirs approached the design of the main religious building extremely thoroughly.
One of the main issues at the initial stage of preparation was the choice of a place for the future mosque. After long disputes and all sorts of discussions, the leadership of the republic allocated a fairly impressive piece of land in a park area on the banks of the Belaya River. The picturesque landscape was supposed to be the exterior design that would highlight the most beautiful diamond.
Winning project by V. Davletshin
OnThe competition was submitted by many projects, the winner of which was the project "Lalya-Tulip", proposed by the local architect V. Davletshin. It was not by chance that this flower was chosen. The thing is that the tulip in Islam is a symbol of Allah, and often its designation is used instead of the name of God. Muslims have an extremely reverent attitude towards this flower, so almost all residents of Bashkiria strongly supported this idea of the architect.
Initially, it was planned to open the mosque in 1989, when the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the peoples of the Volga and the Urals was celebrated on a large scale, but it was not possible to implement the plan. The Lyalya-Tulpan Mosque, the history of its creation has become a kind of symbol of the processes that took place in our country in the late 1980s - 1990s. years of collapse and economic devastation slowed down the construction, so the mosque was put into operation in 1998.
"Lalya-Tulpan" - mosque-madrasah
The main mosque of Bashkortostan is not only a building where services and prayers take place, it is also one of the largest madrasas of the republic. A madrasah is nothing more than a religious educational institution where older students learn the basics of Muslim teachings.
The first institutions of this kind appeared in northern Africa as far back as 859, and in Russia, during the time of the empire, several madrasahs were built in Kazan, Ufa and Bukhara. The main educational disciplines of these educational institutions include the study of the history of Islam, reading and commenting on the Koran,comprehension of the Arabic language and Sharia.
Madrese "Lalya-Tulpan" refers to the type of educational institutions that corresponds to the Orthodox theological seminary. After completing their studies, graduates have the opportunity to enter higher educational institutions where future priests are trained. In total, the madrasah classrooms are designed for one hundred people.
Guards - minarets
The first thing that catches your eye when you look at the Lyalya-Tulpan mosque is the striking resemblance of its minarets to the flower of the same name. As you know, minarets play a special role in the architectural appearance of any mosque. Once guard towers, they now give the whole structure a special touch.
At the Lyalya-Tulpan mosque there are two impressive minarets located on both sides of the main building. If the building itself resembles a flower that has already blossomed, then the side towers, from which prayers are said every evening, resemble buds that have not yet blossomed.
The height of each tower reaches 33 meters, and they are perfectly visible from almost any part of the city. The whole building looks especially picturesque at sunset, when the mosque seems to dissolve in the rays of the setting sun.
External characteristics of the mosque
The Lyalya-Tulpan Mosque, whose photo is a tasty morsel for any guest of the capital of Bashkortostan, is a truly grandiose building. This stone building is more than twenty meters high, based on a square of 2500 square meters.meters. It is based on a powerful reinforced concrete foundation, going deep into the earth for several meters.
Despite all the monumentality of the structure, from a distance the mosque looks extremely light, as if floating in the air. The light walls of the main building and minarets gradually turn into bright pink tops, as if trying to break away from the ground and rush up. The entrance to the mosque is located at the level of the third floor.
The first and second floors of the mosque: severity, solemnity, conciseness
The first and second floors of the mosque are not intended for visiting a large number of visitors. It is here that the madrasah is located, in which there is a spacious hostel, a large library and a dining room. On the territory of the madrasah there is also a conference hall for meetings, which can accommodate 130 people at the same time.
The first floor is given over to various utility rooms, there are also sports and fitness rooms for madrasah listeners, as well as a sauna and a bathhouse.
On the second floor there are comfortable rooms for visiting guests. There is also a special hall in which the bride and groom undergo a marriage ceremony, and born children undergo a naming ceremony. The local muhtasibat regularly meets in the same hall. All rooms are designed in a strict style, where all objects have their specific purposes.
Prayer hall "Lyalya-Tulpan": a masterpiece of architecture and painting
"Lalya-Tulpan" is a mosque with the largest prayer hall in the republic. At the same time, up to three hundred people can be in the hall itself, and taking into accountbalconies that are intended for women, the number of worshipers can reach up to half a thousand.
The hall itself is made, as in most mosques, in oriental style. It is characterized by the so-called floral ornament, the elements of which are present both on the walls of the room and on the stained-glass windows. This ornament symbolizes the trees of paradise and inspires deep and sincere prayer.
The main role in wall cladding is played by serpentine and the most beautiful marble brought from the Mediterranean. The floor is covered with oriental carpets, under which you can find ceramic plates. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, which gives the hall an accentuated solemnity.
Mosque activities today
Mosque "Lyalya-Tulpan" from the very beginning of its activity was not limited solely to the role of a religious building. Currently, it is the leading cultural and educational center of the Republic of Bashkortostan, whose activities are carried out in several directions at once.
Firstly, it is, of course, holding religious services. During major Muslim holidays, the mosque becomes a center of pilgrimage not only for residents of the republic, but also for guests from other regions of Russia.
Secondly, there is a systematic educational process. In addition to the madrasah mentioned above, until 2005, the mosque housed the Russian Islamic University, whose teachers did a great job of compiling teaching aids for Muslim schools and madrasahs.
Thirdly, Lyalya-Tulpan often acts as a platform where various conferences, exhibitions, disputes and discussions are held. The comfortable and roomy conference hall has witnessed many cultural and scientific events over the past decades.
Finally, fourthly, meetings and negotiations of political and religious figures of the highest rank often take place in the mosque. The atmosphere of this establishment, according to eyewitnesses and participants in these meetings, encourages constructive conversations and the signing of mutually beneficial contracts.
