Lezgi mosque / Ashur Mosque

About Lezgi mosque / Ashur Mosque

A mosque and historical architectural monument located in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Ashur Mosque, also known as the Lezgi Mosque, is a Sunni mosque and one of the oldest in Baku, standing on Asaf Zeynalli Street in the Old City (Icheri Sheher) a few steps from the Maiden Tower. It was founded in 1169 by the master builder Najaf Ashur son of Ibrahim, whose name it carries, in the era of the Shirvanshahs, making it one of the oldest surviving religious buildings in the city. Its second name comes from the Lezgins, a Caucasian people from Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan who adopted it as their mosque in the 19th century, and it is still known by that name today. The mosque is small, with a rectangular prayer hall of local limestone and a carved mihrab, with remains of older structures beside it in the lane; it is said to stand on the site of an earlier temple. It was closed for repairs in 2016 and, according to Wikipedia, remained closed as of December 2024, so check its status before visiting. Together with the Muhammad (Siniq Qala) Mosque, the Ashur Mosque is among the oldest mosques of Icheri Sheher, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an important stop for lovers of Islamic history in Baku.

Where:

Baku, Azerbaijan