“Ar-Rahma” means “Mercy” in Arabic. The mosque was built in the historical part of the city on the top of Mount Shchekavitsa. The very name of the area, Tatarka, preserves the memory of its former residents – Muslims who lived compactly here since the mid-19th century. It took the faithful of Islam almost 150 years to realize their cherished dream – the construction of the first large mosque in Kyiv, with a minaret, a prayer hall for several thousand visitors, and an educational center – a madrasah. The doors of the mosque are always open to visitors. On holidays and religious holidays, several thousand believers of different nationalities gather here. Excursions and general lectures are held for Kiev residents and guests of the capital, where you can learn more about the essence of Islam, the traditions and beliefs of Muslims.
In October 1897, the Kiev authorities officially allowed the opening of the first Muslim prayer house in Podol. At that time, according to official data, the Muslim community numbered about 500 believers. The prayer hall was located on the second floor of a wooden building in three apartments and could not accommodate even a third of those who came to pray. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Kyiv Muslims have not given up attempts to build a mosque out of stone. A project for the construction of a mosque was prepared, which was supposed to accommodate 800 people. In October 1913, the city governor laid the first stone in the foundation of the mosque on Gogolevskaya Street. However, the First World War and the advent of Bolshevik power did not make it possible to bring this project to life. During Soviet times, Muslims in Kyiv were forcibly resettled in all districts of the city. Places of compact residence of Muslims and their house of worship have disappeared from the map of the Ukrainian capital. However, the imams, despite all the difficulties, continued to visit the homes of Muslims and maintain the traditions of their ancestors. After Ukraine declared independence, Ukrainian Muslims had a chance for religious revival. In 1991, a religious community was registered in the capital and a house of worship was opened.
In 1994, during the first congress of Muslims of Ukraine, the first stone was laid in the foundation of the mosque. It took 3 years to obtain permits, coordinate project documentation, and resolve issues with land allotment. In 1998, Muslims already had the opportunity to pray in one of the constructed buildings. Construction took place in stages, thanks to the financial support of believers. Already in 2001, the first holiday prayers were held in the mosque building, in which about 2,000 people took part. The constant increase in the number of believers prompted the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine to appeal to the city authorities with a request to expand the area of the Ar-Rahma Mosque. The new project, which was approved in 2007, provided for the expansion of the prayer hall, the construction of a minaret, an administrative building and a madrasah. In November 2011, all work on the construction of the mosque was completed.
After reconstruction, the Kiev Ar-Rahma mosque turned into a real spiritual, cultural and educational center. The author of the mosque project was the famous Kiev architect Alexander Komarovsky, who participated in the reconstruction of Independence Square and the construction of Kyiv television center. He developed the mosque project together with the Syrian architect Ridwan Majzub. After Komarovsky’s death in 2002, the project was brought to life Sergey Babushkin together with the Caucasian architect Khoja Akhmad. The total area of the mosque premises is about 3200 square meters. There is a prayer hall, a minaret, a madrasah, an administrative building, which includes a Halal certification department, a press service, an external relations department and a funeral services service, a publishing house, an imam’s reception room, a wedding hall and a hall for special events. Volcanic tuff, a decorative stone from Azerbaijan, was used in the external finishing work, and the dome was made of copper.
Where is the Ar-Rahma Mosque?
Lukyanovskaya street, 46
Friday prayer (Namaz Jumu’ah): 12:30
Excursions: (044) 465-18-77
Every Sunday general lecture at 11:00