Sultan Suleiman Mosque, Islamic mosque in Mariupol, Ukraine
The Sultan Suleiman Mosque is a pale grey stone building in Mariupol whose main mass rises to a ribbed central dome with a small finial, flanked by smaller ribbed domes at the corners of the roofline. A band of small round windows sits below the main dome, and the front face is dominated by a tall central archway framed by columns, containing a dark wooden door reached by steps. A covered portico with its own grey dome extends to the left, and a minaret stands to the right.
The building was opened in 2007 and constructed at the initiative of Turkish businessman Salih Cihan. It was created to provide the growing Muslim community of Mariupol with a place for religious gathering.
The mosque is named after Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxelana, symbolizing a cultural bridge between Ukraine and Turkey. It serves as an important gathering place and religious center for the city's Muslim community in their daily life.
The location sits in the central area of Mariupol and is accessible on foot. Visitors should note that respectful clothing is expected and outsiders may not be able to enter during prayer times.
The mosque sheltered civilians in 2022, but accounts of the shelling differ: Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reported a hit on 12 March, while İsmail Hacıoğlu, head of the mosque association, said the strike landed about 700 metres away. A Russian Wikipedia entry dates shelling to 12 April, when around 90 people were hiding inside.
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