Ukrainsky tyzhden, 7.08.2009
The list of monuments of Muslim architecture of Ukraine is not limited to the well-known tourist attractions.
The Islamic cultural heritage in it, so to say, visually-perceived variant, usually associates with the Crimean mosques. Actually Muslim monuments are not only mosques, and they can be found not only in Crimea. It is possible to consider as monuments of cult architecture medrese, monasteries, tombs-durbe, and magnificent gravestones. Certainly, on the territory of the former Khanate there are most of all of them, but also out of its borders it is possible to find interesting samples.
Crimea which we do not know
Let's let on margins fortresses, palaces, baths, caravans-sheds and other civil structures erected on the peninsula at the time of the Khanate. In Crimea there are many especially Islamic constructions which are not familiar to the majority, but deserve steadfast attention.
Mosques
Almost everyone who happened to visit Crimea, admired the famous mosques of the peninsula - the Big Khanate, entering into ensemble of the Khanate palace in Bakhchisarai, and the Eupatorian Dzhuma-Dzhami erected under the project of a genius Turkish architect Hodzha Sinan. But not less valuable is the most ancient (though not so well preserved), remained up to this day on the peninsula, the mosque of Uzbek constructed in 1314 in Old Crimea. The Khan, who made Islam to be dominating religion of the subject people, decorated the construction with a carved portal and stalactite capitals of columns. Unfortunately, a figured laying of a floor and carved wooden (probably, gilt) mosque arches are not preserved.
Durbe
There are a lot of small, but solemnly-refined mausoleums in which outstanding persons are buried in Crimea. But since durbe, as it is peculiar to memorial constructions, were erected mainly in silent, unsociable places, not so many people admire their beauty. However, as a lot of VIPs usually lived in Bakhchisarai, in its suburbs it is possible to see the biggest quantity of the tombs.
The most known durbe is located in a fortress of Chufu-Kale over the breakage, against a magnificent landscape. The favorite daughter of the Khan Tohtamysh Nenekedzhan-Hanym, who died in 1437, is buried here. The less known Khan durbe-twins of a XVII-th century are on a palace cemetery and a magnificent tomb of Dilyary-Bikech, the favorite wife of the Khan Kyrym-Girey. And close to the place of pioneer settlements from which in due course there appeared a Khanate capital, it is possible to see the whole complex of ancient durbe - Kyrk-Azizler (forty saints). Unfortunately, the mosque which was the ensemble centre, is completely destroyed, and from a monastery-tekie was remained only a chair-turret - mim ber.
Medrese (religious school)
From the most ancient medrese of Crimea constructed close to the mosque of Uzbek in 1332-1333 in Old Crimea, unfortunately, remained a little. But once it was an elegant complex of premises united by arcades and cozy court yards decorated with carving, fountains and flower beds.
The medrese of Uzbek served as a sample for Zyndzhyrly-medrese constructed in 1500 close to Ashlam-saray, country residence of the Khan (nowadays - within Bakhchisarai). The name of the institution stems from "zyndzhyr" - a chain, as this subject hanged over an entrance door, forcing everyone entering and leaving to bow in respect. Outside - blank walls protecting students from temptations of a court life, and inside - the court yard surrounded by an arcade with a fountain, small living rooms and a big hall for joint lessons.
Tekie (monastery)
Monasteries in Islamic practice were not such a widespread phenomena, as in Christianity. The unique monument - tekie of Derwish - the Muslim monks-beggars, built in XIV-XV in Eupatorium is especially valuable. The most interesting building of a complex is the hall blocked by the huge arch in the middle of which the Derwish turned in their meditative dances. Round the centre are located tiny cells in which there lived ascetics. The ensemble includes also a small mosque and a corpus.
Muslim Trace on Podolia
In the second half of XVII-th century the hetman Petro Doroshenko found a way to create the independent state at least on a part of the territory of Ukraine. To tear off an edge both from Rech Pospolita, and from the Moscow kingdom, he decided to create the vassal state under Ottoman protectorate. From this came out a war, already habitual during an epoch of Ruins. But the Turks fairly carried out their allied obligations: having stayed at Podolia for the whole 25 years, they called the population to calmness and suggested in case of the next operations to search for protection in big fortresses with Turkish garrison.
Medzhibozh was one of these fortresses. In this small town remained two monumental gravestones of Turkish military leaders. These are square pedestals in the plan, on which tower columns on one is the square one, and on the second one - round in the plan.
Perhaps the most well-known Muslim construction outside of Crimea is the minaret which leant against a cathedral Peter and Paul church in Kamenets-Podolskiy. Local guides often tell that the Turks persistently profaned Christian temples in the captured city. Actually, the Ottoman Turks carried out allied duties concerning the dwarfish state of Doroshenko, and they did not touch Orthodox people and their relics. And Catholics left the city together with their army, and their temples stood empty. Therefore, the practical Turks, who, by the way, should satisfy somewhere their spiritual needs, too, transformed a church into a mosque. When Kamenets returned under the rule of Rech Pospolita, Catholics anew consecrated the cathedral and put the gilt sculpture of maiden Maria at the minaret top. It looked a little funny, but symbolical.
INQUIRY. How did Islam come to our spaces
Southern neighbors of Ukraine - the Crimean Tatars - were the carriers of this doctrine. When soldiers of the Golden Horde in the ХІІІ-th century conquered the East, many of them converted to Islam. Separate representatives of the people who settled in Crimea and mixed up with rather vivid local population, also gradually became Muslims. But Islam became the state religion only in the beginning of the XIV century under the reign of the Khan Uzbek, who was an earnest Muslim. Uzbek took care not only of mosques (they were constructed before him, too), but also built a medrese– educational institution in which was educated the whole generations of clerics, public figures and intellectuals.
Article of a magazine site "Ukrainsky tyzhden"
