Moscow mosque marks 115th birthday

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The main mosque in Russia's capital celebrated its 115th birthday on Monday.

Opened in 1904, the Moscow Cathedral Mosque never closed its doors, even during the two world wars and the Russian civil war of the 1930s.

The mosque was completely renovated four years ago, with significant contributions from Turkey, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took part in the opening ceremony on Sept. 23, 2015.

"We thank the Turkish Republic, Turkish people, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their contributions to the restoration, and pray for them," Supreme Mufti Ravil Gainutdin said at Monday's anniversary ceremony.

Over 500 distinguished guests from 50 countries came to the Russia's capital to take part in the celebrations, including ministers of Islamic affairs and rectors from the largest Islamic educational institutions of Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan.