Mosque "Ilakhiyat" in Baku reopened, but access restricted

Mosque "Ilakhiyat", located in the Yasamal District of Baku, which was closed on May 20 for visitors, has reopened for visitors. However, the access for believers will be restricted. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that today the traditional Friday namaz took place there, attended by more than one thousand persons.

For lack of room, most of the believers administered their namaz in the yard. Several dozens policemen monitored the process.

The agiotage around the Mosque started after earlier this week the Imam of the Mosque, a Turkish citizen Ibragim Memish, was ordered by the police to close it. The pretext was in complaints of the population, as crowds of people created inconveniences.

However, although the decision to close the Mosque was cancelled, the flow of believers will be limited. Thus, announcements were placed on its walls urging believers to go to other mosques on Fridays to avoid welter. They were recommended to attend the mosques located in the villages of Mekhdiabad, Garachukhur and Dzheiranbatan.

Talking to journalists, Mr Memish said that there was no decision to close the Mosque. However, he admitted that "there were problems with documentation, but they will be settled."

Let us note here that the appeal to believers to go to other mosques has caused their discontent. People are indignant that they are offered to go some 15-20 kilometres away for making their namaz.

Let us note here that the Mosque "Ilakhiyat" is a Sunni one; and among its visitors there are many foreign citizens from the countries of Near and Middle East.