Where is this Mosque?

You would be forgiven for thinking it is in Tehran or Tashkent, but in fact this handsome building is in St. Petersburg downtown near Gorkovskaya Metro station. You might also think it is probably a fairly recent addition to the city, the result of migration of Muslims from the "stans" of the former Sovier Union or elsewhere, but in reality it has stood since 1913, before the Russian Revolution diminished the role of religion in public life.

Since its founding St. Petersburg has been a cosmopolitan city, and this heritage is reflected in many beautiful places of worship. Most are Russian Orhtodox, but they include a Jewish synagogue built in 1869, a Buddhist temple built in 1913, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches.

There is so much to see in Petersburg that you probably won't have time to visit more than a fraction of it, but it is nice to know it's there.