Ozan Mosque

The Ozan Mosque is a mosque and historical architectural monument, located in the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan.
Built in 1884, the mosque was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local significance by Decision No. 132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001.

Overview

The Ozan Mosque was built in 1884 in the city of Ganja at the expense of the residents of the Ozan neighborhood. However, the inscription on the arch above the entrance states the construction date as 1786. The total area of the building is, while the usable area is. The main part of the mosque is a square-shaped prayer hall covered by a dome. There are two auxiliary rooms on the sides.
In issue 12 of the Molla Nasreddin magazine from 1907, it was reported that 2,000 manats were collected in 1906 for the repair of the mosque with the help of residents of the Ozan neighborhood. In 1920, during the Ganja uprising, part of the mosque was destroyed by cannon fire from the Bolsheviks who besieged the city. Additionally, during the suppression of the uprising, residents who had taken refuge in the mosque were burned alive inside. Mammad Altunbay, a military pilot and émigré originally from Ganja, personally witnessed the events in the mosque. He wrote about them in his book, published in Ankara in 1989. In his book, he notes that:
After the Soviet occupation of Azerbaijan, an official campaign against religion began in 1928. In December of that year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan transferred many mosques, churches, and synagogues to the balance of clubs for educational purposes. While there were 3,000 mosques in Azerbaijan in 1917, this number decreased to 1,700 in 1927, 1,369 in 1928, and only 17 by 1933. The Ozan Mosque was closed to worship during this period. The building was initially used as a workshop for the blind and later as a grocery store. In 1979, the mosque building was restored. Paintings were created on its interior walls by artist Rustam Huseynquliyev. The building housed a Nizami memorial museum and a bookshop.
After Azerbaijan regained its independence, the mosque was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local significance by Decision No. 132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001.
Currently, a library operates in the mosque.