Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque or Gypjak Mosque[lower-alpha 1] (Turkmen: Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Metjidi / Tүркменбaшы Рухы Mетҗиди) is a mosque in Gypjak, Turkmenistan and the resting place for Saparmurat Niyazov, the leader of Turkmenistan from 1985 to 2006.[2] The mosque is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the capital, Ashgabat, on the M37 highway.

Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
StatusActive
Location
LocationGypjak, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Architecture
Typemosque
StyleIslamic
Completed2004
Capacity10,000 people[1]

Overview
Niyazov's mausoleum, directly next to the mosque

The mosque, constructed by the French company Bouygues, was built in the home town of President Saparmurat Niyazov. It opened on October 22, 2004, and was built by Niyazov with a mausoleum in preparation for his death. Niyazov died two years later, and was buried in the mausoleum on December 24, 2006.

The mosque has been at the center of controversy as scriptures from both the Quran and the Ruhnama (The Book of the Soul), Niyazov's 'pseudo-spiritual guide to life' are built into the walls. It has outraged many Muslims that the Ruhnama is placed as the Koran's equal. Indeed, despite its capacity to accommodate 10,000 congregants, the mosque is often empty as the Ruhnama inscriptions are considered blasphemous by devout mosquegoers.[3][4]

See also

Notes
  1. Also spelled Kipchak Mosque.

References
  1. Corley, Felix (4 January 2005). "TURKMENISTAN: 2004, the year of demolished mosques". Forum 18 News Service. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  2. Koch, Natalie (3 October 2016). "The "Personality Cult" Problematic: Personalism and Mosques Memorializing the "Father of the Nation" in Turkmenistan and the UAE". Central Asian Affairs. 3 (4): 330–359 – via Brill.
  3. Door to the Kipchak Mosque Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com). Retrieved on 2019-07-05.


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