page_title: Karakol
section_title: Dungan mosque
hierarchical_section_title: Karakol / Sights / Dungan mosque
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Karakol - Dunganen-Moschee (42.497347° 78.390962°) English: Karakol - Dungan Mosque
context_page_description: Karakol is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan, near the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, about 150 kilometres from the Kyrgyzstan–China border and 380 kilometres from the capital Bishkek. It is the administrative capital of Issyk-Kul Region. Its area is 44 square kilometres and its resident population was 66,294 in 2009. To the north, on highway A363, is Tyup and to the southwest Jeti-Ögüz resort.
context_section_description: The Issyk-kul Central Mosque of Karakol city was built for the local Dungan community by an initiative of Ibrahim Aji. He invited the famous Beijing architect Chou Seu and 20 carvers with the skills of traditional Chinese architecture and composition techniques for building the mosque. The construction of outbuildings and other work involved local craftsmen. Construction of the mosque began in 1904 and was completed in 1910. Ingenious techniques allowed the builders to build the mosque with no nails. The mosque holds 42 based pillars and encircling the building is multi-tiered wooden cornice, decorated with images of plants like grapes, pomegranates, pears and peaches. From 1929 to 1947 (during the Soviet era) the mosque was used as a storehouse. In 1947, the building was given to the Muslim community and continues to function as a mosque. It is registered as a historical monument and protected by law. Today the mosque is open to visitors.
caption: Karakol Dungan Mosque
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