The Juma-Jami Mosque
The Crimean peninsula used to belong to the Ottoman Empire with the capital in Bakhchysarai. In the 16th century, Khan Devlet I Giray ruled there. In order to make Kezlev, presently known as Eupatoria, the new khan Istanbul, he had decided to build a huge mosque, which would be equal to the sultan’s shrines.
Today you can visit the khan’s mosque Juma-Jami and make sure that the Crimean khan had kept his word. The temple’s name means Friday’s mosque as this day of the week is very important for the Muslims – according to some sources, prophet Muhammad was born on this day. Famous architect of the Ottoman Empire Mimar Sinan was invited to design the Juma-Jami in 1552. It took ten years to build it, because the architect was busy with two temples – a mosque for Sultan Suleiman I and the Juma-Jami itself. Mimar Sinan was inspired by Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; therefore his mosque was erected by the type of volumes’ growth. Lightness and softness of lines were reached thanks to limestone and polished shell rock used for walls. The Juma-Jami Mosque’s form resembles a quadrate and is 27 meters high, 21 meters wide. In front of the main entrance you might notice a portico with six columns. Fifty nine windows of different shape – small round and half-round, arched – are located on two tiers of the mosque. While visiting side galleries and a central hall look up. These rooms are lighted with help of flat glass domes. Those domes to be smaller are placed in three rows and the main dome of eleven meters diameter is located in the centre of the building. Due to such construction the Juma-Jami is generally sunlit.
The Khan Mosque in Eupatoria is considered as the biggest many cupolas building in Europe. Two minarets each of 39 meters high are located on the sides of the temple. A muezzin calls to prayer on their tops. To climb one of them you should overcome 105 steps of the spiral staircase to its top, where you can expect a wonderful view of the city and its coast.
The Juma-Jami Mosque used to be called Khan-Djami, meaning khan’s mosque. This is related to the fact, new Crimean rulers, appointed by a sultan, had been crowned there. After the spiritual ceremony, the aspirant officially entered the throne. The Juma-Jami is an active mosque, which is open for visitors every day except Friday. An excursion in the Muslim temple may take about forty-fifty minutes of your time. To get inside, women should wear a hat and a long robe, which can be kindly given you by ministers of the Juma-Jami. Men also may choose to wear a long robe.
The best time to visit the mosque is time of call to prayer. As we know, the Muslims pray five times a day: before dawn, after fifteen minutes after noon, in the afternoon, after sunset and at night. Listen to muezzins’ traditional singing and open the mysterious world of Muslim spirituality! Any public transport that goes to the coast can carry you to the Juma-Jami temple. No doubts you’ll notice the glass domes of the mosque towering above other buildings.
