Ivye. Mosque.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ivian Tatars lived in a separate settlement called Murovshchizna. Today it is a part of the city of Ivye, which is not difficult to find by the minaret of the local mosque. It is believed that Tatars have been living in these places for more than 600 years. The land was granted to them by Prince Vladimir Vitovt for his participation in the famous Battle of Grunwald against the Crusaders. Today, the Ivy Tatar community is the second largest after the Minsk one. 

The local wooden mosque is the oldest mosque in Belarus, one of the few remaining ones. It has been operating continuously since it was built in 1882, and it has never been damaged. The money for the construction was allocated by Countess Elvira Zamoyskaya, the then owner of the town. There is a memorial plaque in her honor in the men's part of the temple. The base of the structure was square, the building was divided into two parts: male and female. The mosque, painted in the characteristic green color of Islam, was crowned by a minaret, completed in 1922 with the money of Tatar emigrants.

 In Soviet times, it was the only functioning mosque in Belarus. Although the facade of the building reveals the features of the Art Nouveau style, researchers attribute it to architectural monuments in which the traditions of folk architecture manifested themselves.

On Fridays, Tatars continue to gather at the mosque for juma prayer. And on the main Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha, the oldest mosque in Belarus barely accommodates everyone, as Muslims from all the surrounding areas come here.

Not far from the mosque there is a Tatar cemetery – mizar.

If you drive to the district town of Ivyefrom the Grodno-Minsk highway, you will notice many large greenhouses and gardens in the private sector. These greenhouses belong mainly to local Tatars, who carefully cultivate their land and have a good income from it. The Tatar community appeared in Ivye in the 15th century. In peacetime, the Tatars cultivated the land. In 1884, a local wooden mosque was built with the money of Countess Elvira Zamoyska. Part of the money for the construction of the temple was sent by Tatar emigrants from the USA. In Soviet times, the mosque in Ivye was the only working temple for Muslims in Belarus.

The building is rectangular in plan with a pentagonal mihrab addition. And in the center of the mihrab is an octagonal minaret with a balcony. The minaret is finished with a high spire. The main facade of the mosque was originally in the form of a gallery on four pillars. There are 2 parts in the temple: male and female. If you want to visit this architectural monument, you need to contact the head of the community or the priest. Local Tatars are always happy to welcome tourists. In addition, you will be able to buy fruits and vegetables from them inexpensively.