Marat Aizatullin took part in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Cathedral Mosque
Today in Kazan, as part of the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria, a solemn ceremony was held to install a memorial stone to mark the beginning of the construction of the Cathedral Mosque complex. The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Marat Khusnullin, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, State Adviser of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Volga Federal District Igor Komarov, heads of several regions of Russia, as well as numerous guests who arrived to participate in the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria.
Marat Khusnullin congratulated the audience on a significant event. "In 922, the ancestors of the Tatars made a historic choice by joining one of the world's religions – Islam. This served as a powerful impetus for their cultural, economic and political development," he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation noted that today the meeting is taking place in difficult conditions associated with foreign policy pressure. "The unity of our citizens, the community of ideals enshrined in religious writings, unite our society today. President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has repeatedly noted that Russian Muslims always respect the traditions and customs of their ancestors, and remain firmly committed to the high ideals of patriotism and justice. By his order, the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria will be held at the federal level this year. In honor of this significant date, a new Cathedral mosque will be built on the site where the mosque is now located, capable of accommodating 10 thousand people. human. Today I laid the first stone symbolizing the beginning of construction," Marat Khusnullin stressed.
Rustam Minnikhanov noted that the international competition for the best design of the Cathedral Mosque has already started, and all options will be considered in the near future. "The architecture of the mosque should reflect our centuries-old distinctive culture, be great and recognizable," he said.
According to the President of Tatarstan, there are several examples in our history when the construction of mosques marked a turning point in the life of the Tatar people. In 1767, Catherine II gave permission for the construction of a stone mosque in Kazan. Today, the oldest functioning mosque in the city is named after the outstanding Tatar scientist Shigabutdin Marjani. And in the 1990s, on the initiative of the first President of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimiev, the construction of the Kul Sharif mosque in the Kremlin began. Now it is one of the most recognizable objects of Kazan.
The Chairman of the Central Duma of Russia, the Supreme Mufti of Russia Talgat Tajuddin, the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation Ravil Gainutdin, the chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia Albir Krganov and the chairman of the Coordination Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus Ismail haji Berdiyev noted the importance of building a Cathedral mosque for Muslims of the Ummah in their speeches.