PHOTO: Nazarbayev opened new mosque in Astana on Capital’s Day

Nursultan Nazarbayev opened a new mosque called Zhazret Sultan in Astana on the Capital’s Day of Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports. “We are a multinational country. There are Muslims among representatives of different ethnic groups. We are a tolerant nation, the whole world knows that all kinds of religions peacefully coexist in Kazakhstan. That is why the Congress of World and Traditional Religions is held in our country, you know this very well. That is why the today’s holiday is a celebration for all the people of Kazakhstan. I congratulate everyone on the opening of the largest mosque in the country called Zhazret Sultan,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said opening the new cathedral mosque in Astana. The total area of the construction is 18 thousand square kilometers. The large hall of Zhazret Sultan holds up to ten thousand people. There are several parking lots around the mosque that can accommodate 745 cars. The height of each minaret (prayer tower) is 77 meters. The height of the main dome is 51 meters and the diameter is 28 meters. The mosque is neighboring with the Palace of Peace and Accord and Kazakh Eli monument. Initially the mosque was supposed to be opened on the Independence Day last year, but the construction of the building wasn’t completed on time. Later, in January, the mosque caught fire during the finishing works; one of the constructors died. After a while the President of Kazakhstan explicitly instructed to finish the construction before the Capital’s Day. According to the President, he wanted to open the mosque on Friday (Jumu'ah – a holy day for Muslims), and the Capital’s Day was on Friday this year. Representatives of the developer completed the mission on time and commissioned the building.