The Juma Mosque is Derbent's most historically layered religious building, housed in a 6th-century Christian basilica that was converted to a mosque after the Arab conquest of 654 AD. The structure retains elements of its original basilica form while serving as an active place of Islamic worship. A 15th-century madrassa stands in the courtyard. Together they represent the successive religious influences — Christian and Muslim — that have shaped Derbent over fifteen centuries.
Juma Mosque
Ancient basilica turned mosque, one of oldest in Russia
A story
The building began life as a Christian basilica in the 6th century. When the Arabs captured Derbent in 654 AD and brought Islam to the Caucasus, they converted the basilica into a mosque — one of the oldest in the former Soviet Union. The 15th-century madrassa in its courtyard was added nearly a thousand years later.