Authors

Sharifov Murad E.
The White Mosque in Astrakhan: history of construction and architectural features

Architecton: Proceedings of Higher Education №2 (94) June, 2026

The article is devoted to the study of the White Mosque (Ak Mosque) in Astrakhan – the first stone Muslim temple in the South of Russia (1810), erected on the site of an 18th-century wooden building on donations from the merchant David Izmailov. The history covers periods from the formation of the parish (800 men, 650 women by 1908–1909) through Soviet losses (closure in the 1930s, dismantling of the mihrab in the 1960s, destruction of the minaret in the 1930s–1970s) to the post-Soviet revival (recognition as an architectural monument in 1990, recovery by believers in 1992, restoration of the mihrab in 2008 with the financial support of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan as a gift for the 450th anniversary of Astrakhan, opening of the Hadji Tarkhan madrasah in 1997). The floor plans were reconstructed using archival drawings, revealing the structure of the hall (southern volume 11 x 13.5 m, 16 m; northern 13 x 14 m, 8 m with mezzanines), masonry (25.5 x 12.5 x 6 cm brick, gate), and classical decor (cornices, architraves).