Khan's Mosque

The Khan's Mosque stands in Kasimov, in Russia's Ryazan Oblast. Its origins go back to the Qasim Khanate of the 15th and 16th centuries, and it is described as the oldest mosque in Central Russia. The present building was erected in 1768 next to the broad stone minaret that survives from the earlier mosque. It is listed as a federal cultural heritage site of Russia. Nearby, a little closer to the Oka River, lies another local landmark, the mausoleum of Shahghali, which dates from the mid-16th century. Since the 1930s the mosque has served as a public museum.

The date of the first mosque is debated. According to Kadir Ali, the brick building was raised by Shahghali around the middle of the 16th century, while others trace it to the reign of Qasim Khan.

The original building was demolished in 1702 on the orders of Peter the Great, although its stone minaret was left standing. The existing mosque was built in 1768 beside this old minaret. In 1835 local Tatar nobles had a second storey added. From the 1930s the building has been designated a public museum.