An international competition for the development of a draft design of the Cathedral Mosque of Kazan has started

The religious object with a capacity over 10 thousand people will be located on the site of the Kyrlay park.

An international competition for the development of a draft design of a Cathedral Mosque has started in Kazan. It will be located on the right bank of the Kazanka River, on the site of the Kyrlay park. The capacity of the mosque will be over 10 thousand people. The foundation stone is planned to be laid on May 20, while the beginning of construction work is planned for autumn.

“The construction of a Cathedral Mosque in Tatarstan has been discussed for a long time, there have been many different appeals from denominations regarding the construction of a religious object,” - Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan Shamil Gafarov said at a press conference in the Tatar-Inform news agency today. The final decision on the construction of the Cathedral Mosque in Kazan was made by Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov. The works are included in the federal plan of the activities for the preparation and celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria.

The international competition for the development of a draft design of the Cathedral Mosque will run until June. Ilnur Rakhimov, executive director of the Igelek-Dobrota Republican Fund for the Promotion of Spiritual and Moral Development, the contestants must submit designs not only of the mosque, but also of the adjacent territory. The geography of the competition is not limited – creative teams and consortia from Russia and abroad can offer their ideas. Applications for participation will be accepted within 15 days. On July 8, on the eve of the Eid holiday, the results will be summed up. The winner and prize-winners will be selected according to a points system by the jury.

The competition jury will comprise leading architects, representatives of the scientific community, Muslim and state authorities.

The winner of the competition will receive 2.5 million rubles, the runner–up will receive 1 million rubles, and a prize of 500 thousand rubles for the third place.

“We deliberately did not prescribe many technical conditions to give participants the opportunity to present their vision of the mosque. The next three months will be fruitful for the teams. I hope that Kazan and Tatarstan will inspire the contestants”, - Ilnur Rakhimov said.

The name of the mosque has not yet been determined, it will be chosen by the residents. “We plan to bring this issue to the discussion of the residents of the republic”, - Shamil Gafarov said.

The location of the mosque meets the basic principles of the construction of unique objects of national and federal significance, said Galina Aidarova, Professor of the Department of Theory and Practice of Architecture at the Institute of Architecture and Design KGASU. “The construction site is located in the historical center of Kazan and has a good transport accessibility. The mosque will be well viewed from the Volga, will serve as a landmark in the urban space”, - she said.

According to the expert, the Cathedral Mosque will improve the architectural appearance of the right bank of the Kazanka River. “It will be a large religious and multifunctional center, where a comfortable urban environment with a variety of social and cultural functions will be created for residents of the republic and tourists”, - Galina Aidarova emphasized.

The head of the Executive Committee of Kazan Rustem Gafarov thanked Tatarstan President for the decision to build a Cathedral Mosque in the capital of Tatarstan. “I am sure that the mosque will become a new symbol of Kazan, which will embody the city in all corners of the world”, - said Rustem Gafarov. He also noted the issue of placing of the new amusement park is already being worked out.