Not every mosque must be a masterpiece to be beautiful. The Haji Yaqub mosque located in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan is no imperial mosque, yet it is uniquely beautiful and emblematic of the modern Islamic revival of Tajikistan following dissolution of the secular communist Soviet Union in 1991.

One of the factors which makes Haji Yaqub mosque beautiful is the incorporation of traditional Persian Islamic ornamentation- mo’araq tiles (mosaics), calligraphic bands, muqarnas vaulting and pointed arches connect the rather young mosque to the architectural heritage of the greater Persianate world. At the same time, modern themed square mosaic tiles are also used in places, the juxtaposition of traditional and modern mosaics in the same building is curious, and I am not sure why this was done, however it works here and provides Haji Yaqub mosque with a very unique architectural identity.

An original inscription plaque in the mosque written in Persian attributes the construction of the mosque between the years 1997-2001 to the President of Tajikistan “Emomali Sharifovich Rahmonov”- a version of his name he no longer uses, along with the mayor of Dushanbe- Muhammad Saiid Ubaidulloev, and the head of Tajikistan’s Islamic Council- Sheikh Amonalloh Ni’matzoda.

Characteristic of that very optimistic era of Tajikistan’s post Soviet era the inscription is written in Persian using both the Perso-Arabic and Cyrillic alphabets. During those years there was a serious intention to revert the nation back to the original Perso-Arabic alphabet, that however never occurred and under Emomali Rahmon the nation has clung on to it’s Soviet style policies more than was initially expected.

On a somber note, as part of Dushanbe’s ever changing and modernizing face, the mosque has as of recent begun to undergo a “remodel” to bring it in line with the cities new white color palette and modernist style. Renders of the project depict much of the traditional hand produced mosaics and brick work to be covered with manufactured white ornamental panels. I am grateful to have had the chance to visit and photograph the mosque before the remodel began.