Kėdainiai minaret, Ottoman minaret near train station in Kėdainiai, Lithuania.
Kėdainiai minaret is a slender, tower-like structure in the city park featuring Ottoman architectural elements and design. The building rises approximately 25 meters tall with a pointed crown and an observation platform accessed by interior stairs.
General Eduard Totleben commissioned this minaret in 1880 after his service in the Russian-Turkish war. The structure reflects the general's admiration for eastern architecture that he encountered through his military experiences.
Two plaques on the walls tell of distant connections: one bears text in Ottoman Turkish, the other displays verses from the Quran in Arabic script. These inscriptions show the builder's fascination with eastern traditions and spiritual texts.
The minaret is located in the city park between the train station and the river, making it easy to find. Visitors should know that the interior is difficult to access for people with mobility limitations, as stairs and narrow passages restrict entry.
This is the only free-standing minaret in Lithuania and was never used as a mosque or religious building. Instead, it served the general as a personal monument to his fascination with eastern cultures, making it an unusual artistic statement.
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