The unveiling of the Kul Sharif mosque is seen by many as an event of international significance. More than 5,000 guests from across Russia and forty foreign countries have converged on Kazan to celebrate the occasion. Officials from the United Nations and the Council of Europe are taking part in the celebrations alongside prominent Islamic clerics and theologians.
The Kul Sharif mosque is Europe's largest. The structure occupies 19,000 square meters. Its central dome rises 39 meters above the ground and each of its four minarets is 57 meters tall.
President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiyev said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that Kul Sharif was more than just a mosque.
"This is a new symbol for Kazan and Tatarstan, a mecca for the entire Tatar world. It's something of a bridge, linking our past and future through our present," he said, adding that the mosque is not just a house of worship, but a museum, as well.
Concluding his speech, Shaimiyev cited lines from Seid Kul Sharif, the last imam of the original mosque, who defended Kazan against Ivan the Terrible's army. It is after him that the new mosque is named.
