Bulgar Mosque or White Mosque
Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia.
The Great Bolgar Mosque is located on the left bank of the Volga 140 kilometers from Kazan, near the present-day town of Bolgar. The area of the ancient settlement is 550 hectares, and the length of its fortifications is over five kilometers.
The Mosque is constructed in order to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the Islamisation of Volga-Bulgaria, and opened in 1993. For most of the construction work is responsible the first imam, Farooq hazrat Fazanov. The Mosque Madrasa named after him.
The White Mosque is an example of a combination of the best masterpieces of world Islamic architecture. The white Mosque is crowned by three domes and two graceful minarets created in the manner of the Prophet’s Mosque located at the famous pilgrimage location of all Muslims – ‘MEDINA’.
The Mosque has a very original composition. In it are combined different objects varying by height that are cut into each other diagonally from southwest to northeast. As is tradition, the Mosque has separate entrances and rooms for men and women. The main prayer hall is on the second floor, while the room for women is on the first. The minaret is 35 meters high. The whole complex is constructed with white marble. Walls of the mosque are decorated with traditional ornamental elements – tulips, arabesques, muqarnas and geometrical ornaments creating a unique inner atmosphere. Symbolism and mysteriousness of the two-level prayer hall are provided by scattered lighting, and the monochromatic color scheme of the walls and dome coupled with the wooden elements accentuate the beauty of carved decoration.
The White Mosque represents peace and purity and constitutes a symbol of spiritual renaissance on Bolgar land. Its architecture, based on familiar Muslim architectural symbols, and visual relation between the settlement and the mosque emphasize the religious significance of the site.
Erection of the Mosque complex in Bolgar can be considered a milestone event for the Islamic community of Tatarstan and Russia.For the first time the Bolgar land witnesses the revival of a citadel for Islamic worship, education and enlightenment. It is of special significance that the Mosque provides services of a madrasa. The constant presence of students, in this blessed territory will reflect the continuity of time and generations and represent a symbol of the revived Muslims of Bolgar. The new Mosque will become a center of pilgrim attraction as was the Mosque welcoming the faithful in the days of the past.
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Opened in 2012, designed by Sergey Shakurov, as part of the Bolgar archaeological complex. 
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