The first prayer took place in the cathedral mosque of Crimea

The first prayer in the Simferopol Cathedral Mosque was held for imams from all over Crimea, so that they could personally testify that the mosque was built, and already in the holy month of Ramadan, festive prayers will be held in it. Attempts to speculate on the construction of a cathedral mosque are akin to speculation with the Crimean Bridge - there were also doubts about its construction, but the bridge was built and is working.

The first prayer was held in the cathedral mosque on December 9, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

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First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Nationalities Ruslan Yakubov, on the air of “Crimea 24,” recalled how during the Ukrainian period the Crimean Tatars went to “protest fields” to achieve the allocation of land for the construction of mosques, and, without projects, they built religious objects themselves.

“During the first prayer, I recalled how even before 2014, Muslims were forced to go to rallies and pickets so that they would at least be allowed to allocate land plots. Not only for the cathedral mosque, but in any locality, in cities and villages, not only did they not formalize the objects that they built, but they sought it through the courts.

Now the cathedral mosque has been built in Russian Crimea. Despite all the difficulties, the authorities provided maximum assistance, and there was unconditional support from the president and the head of the republic in this matter. I think that this object today is an achievement not only of the Muslims of Crimea, but of all Crimeans, regardless of nationality.

This object is also the calling card of Crimea, and the fact that in Crimea the Crimean Tatars are being revived, and only in Crimea will they develop further, develop their language, culture and religion. I am sure that our cathedral mosque will become not only an adornment of Crimea, but also the entire south of Russia,” Yakubov emphasized.

Member of the Council of Crimean Tatars under the head of Crimea, head of the department for organizing religious events of the SAMK, adviser to the head of Crimea Zenife Ablaeva added that the first prayer in the new mosque even before its official opening had a goal - to remove speculation and rumors around its construction, since the story with Krymsky is repeating itself bridge, when many insisted on the impossibility of its creation.

“The first collective prayer took place in the cathedral mosque, but it was attended by district imams and representatives of religious communities. This is done in order to dispel all the doubts and myths that are still circulating. Because there are people who doubted its discovery and said that these were simple promises.

People were constantly calling, wondering why they weren’t opening, trying to discern some kind of catch in it. Therefore, the first collective prayer took place with district imams and representatives of all regions, so that these people would perform prayer, return to their districts and tell their parishioners that everything is fine, the cathedral mosque will open, only small touches remain - the technical equipment that is needed before completed, and the facility must be put into operation.

And after that, of course, the mosque will open its doors. And every parishioner will be able to attend it from morning to evening prayer,” she emphasized.

According to a representative of the SAMK, the official opening of the cathedral mosque is planned for March next year.

“We hope that the holy month of Ramadan will already be in this mosque. This will probably be the first holiday prayer that will be performed in our large mosque. It's priceless. It’s one thing when you see a project on paper, and another when you enter a constructed mosque. All expectations were exceeded. This is an architectural work; there is nothing like it in Russia, in the world.

We are proud that today this mosque was built for Crimean Muslims, Muslims of Russia, under the patronage of the president. This is an invaluable gift, probably for centuries, for our younger generation. This is a vivid example of the fact that there is peace, harmony, and unification in Crimea. And the mosque will be a symbol of such unification,” Ablaeva is sure.