The Kul Sharif Mosque

The Qolşärif mosque located in Kazan Kremlin was the largest mosque in Russia and, reputedly, in Europe outside Istanbul.

Originally, the mosque was built in Kazan Kremlin in the 16th century. It was named after Qolşärif who served there. In 1552, during the storm of Kazan it was destroyed by Ivan The Terrible.

Since 1996 the mosque has been rebuilt in Kazan Kremlin, although its look is decisively modern. Its inauguration on July 24, 2005 marked the beginning of celebrations dedicated to the Millennium of Kazan.

Photos by Igor Lupanov (http://dao-art.infoibs.com/) specially for Microsoft Russia.