Muhammad Mosque

Siniggala Mosque, Мечеть Мухаммада

This mosque was built in the 11th century in Icheri Sheher, Baku. The mosque is also known as Siniggala, for the name of its minaret – Siniggala (“damaged tower”). The mosque acquired its second name in 1723, when a squadron of the Russian army, consisting of 15 warships and led by Admiral Matyushkin, approached the city and demanded its surrender. Russian warships began to bomb the city after its refusal. One of the shells hit the minaret of Muhammad Mosque and damaged it. But a stormy wind blew the Russian ships further out to sea. Baku's citizens interpreted it as a divine scourge sent to the occupants. From that time till the mid-19th century, the minaret of the mosque wasn't reconstructed and symbolized the persistence and courage of the defenders. - It is the first building in Azerbaijan which is related to Islam and dated for its architectural ligature. - According to Arabic inscription which was saved in front of the doorway of northern wall of the mosque, it was built by ustad-rais Muhammad the son of Abu Bakr in 471 of Hijra (1078/79). It means that the architect was not only a master-ustad, but also a rais-head of artificers' corporation. - A minaret adjoins new mosque, which was constructed on the basis of the older one's plan. The trunk of the minaret is strong and slightly thinning. It is constructed from carefully drafted stone. Coarse and flat stalactites of tabling retain the sherefe – the muezzin's balcony enclosed by stone plates. A ribbed dome completes the trunk of minaret. Narrow, winding stairs are inside the trunk. Ligature with Koranic inscription was traced under the tabling with the archaic Kufi alphabet.

Getting there

west 60 m from Cuma Mosque