Big Khan Mosque, Ottoman mosque in Bakhchysarai, Crimea.
Big Khan Mosque is an Ottoman-style place of worship in the city of Bakhchysarai. It has a three-aisle square prayer hall covered by a hipped roof and two octagonal minarets rising to about 28 meters tall.
Built in 1532 by Sahib I Giray, the mosque bore his name in the 17th century. In 1736 it was damaged by fire and restored under Khan Selameta Giray by the master Omer. Khan Arslan Giray founded a madrasah in its courtyard in the 1750s; it has not survived. Closed in Soviet times, the mosque is again open to worshippers.
The mosque shows how religious and political power merged into one structure, particularly through a special area upstairs reserved for the Khan. This space reflects how the ruler acted as both a political leader and a spiritual authority.
On the northeastern corner there is a domed washing area where visitors can perform ritual cleaning before entering. The main entrance is on the northern side and leads directly into the prayer space.
The mosque's roof was originally covered with domes of various sizes, as scholars argue; today it has a hipped roof of red tiles. A madrasah founded by Khan Arslan Giray in 1750 stood by the eastern wall but has not survived. The minarets' stone slabs are held together with lead inserts.
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