“Alraid” Contributed to Ancient Mosque Reconstruction in Crimea (PHOTO, VIDEO)

It was the first time for last seventy years when the Mosque of the Bagatovka (Tokluk) village whipped up more than 150 believers for the Friday prayer. This mosque was cast in lot with hundreds of other places of worship, transformed into a village club after the Crimean Tatars were deported. The villagers built a new club in 1980ies and ruined the mosque as a useless building; it’s a wonder the basement remained.

 

Both the village natives and their children and grandchildren living in different parts of Crimea came for the solemn opening. Head of AUASO “Alraid” Bassil Mareei, Head of AUASO “Alraid” Crimean Branch Ali Mohammad Taha, Mufti of RAMC Emirali-Haji Ablaev and local authorities took part in the event.

 

AUASO “Alraid” did the local community a great service by providing assistance in rebuilding the mosque on its basement. Mr. Bassil Mareei noted in his speech that now it’s up to local Muslims to make the most use of this mosque and fill it with praying people. He also presented the local community five copies of the Holy Qur’an.

 

Crimean Mufti and the Head of local State Administration Igor Stepikov also took word, and the special guests snipped the red ribbon.

 

According to the local Muslims, the age of this mosque is highly probable to reach 300 years. A stone plate remained saying that the mosque went through reconstruction about 100 years ago.

 

One can see a small mulberry tree on the pre-war photos of the mosque. The tree remained, as a kind of spiritual symbol of the village, and once again a new minaret of the rebuilt mosque rose above it.