Mosques of Abkhazia: A Retrospective Analysis
https://doi.org/10.22311/2074-1529-2025-21-1-173-196
Abstract
The article explores the history of mosques in the Republic of Abkhazia. Based on extensive source material and historiographical analysis, the author concludes that several commonly held views in the fi elds of history and ethnography regarding the presence of Islam in Abkhazian society are erroneous. Specifi cally, the notion that Islam was superfi cial, elitist, and/or localized in its spread in Abkhazia is deemed incorrect. On the contrary, the geographic distribution of mosques, along with the involvement of various social strata — including both aristocrats and ordinary members of Abkhazian society, such as free peasants — in Muslim prayer practices, indicates that Islam was widespread across the territory of the republic and among all layers of the population. Mosques, built at diff erent times by both Ottoman administrators (e. g., in Sukhum- Kale) and the indigenous population, became an integral part of the spiritual life of the Abkhazian people within the tradition of «apsylmanra». All of this allows mosques to be considered an important and inseparable component of Abkhazia’s historical and cultural heritage.
About the Author
S. R. Kvaratskheliia
Moscow Islamic Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Stanislav R. KVARATSKHELIIA, Postgraduate student,
12, Kirova Lane, Moscow, 109382
References
1. Abbas-oglu A. (2009). Moia Abkhazia… Moia sudʼba [My Abkhazia… My Destiny]. Мoscow: AST Publ. 144 p. (In Russian)
2. Achugba T. A. (2010). Etnicheskaia istoriia abkhazov XIX–XX vv. Etnopoliticheskie i migratsionnye aspekty [Ethnic History of the Abkhazians of the 19th-20th centuries. Ethno-political and Migration aspects]. Sukhumi: [s. n.]. 356 p. (In Russian)
3. Agumava A. S. (2016). Staryi Sukhum: arkhitektura Sukhuma na rubeje XIX–XX vv. [Old Sukhum: Architecture of Sukhum at the Turn of the 19th-20th Centuries]. Sukhum: Abgosizdat Publ. 304 p. ill. 400. (In Russian)
4. Ali-zade A. (2007). Islamskii entsiklopedicheskii slovarʼ [Islamic Encyclopedic Dictionary]. Moscow: Ansar Publ. 400 p. (In Russian)
5. Ardzinba V. G. (2015). Sobraniie trudov v 3-kh tt. Tom III. Kavkazkie mify, yazyki, etnosy [Collected Works in 3 Volumes. Volume III. Caucasian Myths, Languages, Ethnic Groups]. A. R. Vyalkin (ed.), V. A. Chirikba (editor-comp). Moscow: Federalʼnoie gosudarstvennoe budjetnoie ychredjdenie nauki IV RAN; Abkhazskii institut gumanitarnykh issledovanii im. D. I. Gulia AN Abkhazii Publ. 320 p. (In Russian)
6. Aslan Otyrba (2017). Po lezviiu kinjala [On the Blade of a Dagger]. Avidzba A. F. (compil.); Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia. Sukhum: AbIGI im. D. I. Gulia Publ. 832 p. + 40 ill. (In Russian)
7. Bartsyts, R. M., Broydo A. I. (2010). Arkheologicheskie issledovaniia kholma Azh’iaa rkhu sela Barmysh Gudautskogo raiona [Archaeological Research of the hill Azh’iaa rhu of the Village of Barmysh of the Gudauta Region]. Problemy khronologii i periodizatsii arkheologicheskikh pamiatnikov i kul’tur Severnogo Kavkaza. XXVI “Krupnovskie chteniia po arkheologii Severnogo Kavkaza. Tezisy dokladov Mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferentsii [Problems of Chronology and Periodization of Archaeological Monuments and Cultures of the North Caucasus. XXVI “Krupnovskiye chteniya” on the Archeology of the North Caucasus. Abstracts of the Reports of the International Scientifi c Conference]. Magas: Arkheologicheskaii tsentr im. E. I. Krupnova, p. 41. (In Russian)
8. Bronevsky S. M. (2004). Noveishie Izvestiia o Kavkaze, sobrannye i popolnennye Semenom Bronevskim: V 2 tomakh: t. 1, t. 2 / Podgotovka teksta k izdaniiu, predislovie, primechaniia, slovar’ maloupotrebitel’nykh slov, ukazateli I. K. Pavlovoi [The Latest News about the Caucasus, Collected and Supplemented by Semyon Bronevsky: in 2 volumes: v. 1, v. 2 / Preparation of the Text for Publication, Preface, Notes, Dictionary of Little- Used Words, Indexes by I. K. Pavlova]. St. Petersburg: Peterburgskoie Vostokovedeniie Publ. 4 64 p. (In Russian)
9. Chediya A. R. (2019). Zapadnyi Kavkaz v Chernomorskoi politike Osmanskoi imperii v XVII — pervoi chetverti XIX vv. Dissertatsiia na soiskanie uchennoi stepeni kand. ist. nauk [The Western Caucasus in the Black Sea Policy of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th — First Quarter of the 19th Centuries. Dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences]. Moscow. 278 p. (In Russian)
10. Dmitry Margania (Maan) — Archpriest- educator. (1999). Stat’i. Raporty / Sostavlenie, predislovie i posleslovie d. f. n. Kh. S. Bgazhba [Articles. Reports / Compiled, Foreword and Afterword by Doctor of Philosophy H. S. Bgazhba]. Sukhumi: Izd-vo “Alashara” Publ. 72 p. (In Russian)
11. Durnovo N. N. (1907). Sud’by gruzinskoi tserkvi. (Po voprosu o Gruzinskoi tserkovnoi avtokefalii). 2-e Dobavlenie / Izdanie Redaktsii gazety “Russkii Stiag” [The Fates of the Georgian Church. (On the Issue of Georgian Church Autocephaly). 2nd Supplement / Edition of the Editorial Board of the newspaper “Russkiy Styag”]. Moscow: Tipographia “Russkaya Pechatnya” Publ. 103 p. (In Russian)
12. Dzidzaria G. A. (1975). Makhadzhirstvo i problemy istorii Abkhazii XIX stoletiia [Muhajir Movement and Problems of the History of Abkhazia in the 19th Century]. Sukhumi: Izd-vo “Alashara” Publ. 528 p. (In Russian)
13. Evliya Celebi. (1983). Kniga puteshestviia. (Izvlecheniia iz sochineniia turetskogo puteshestvennika XVII veka). Perevod i kommentarii. Vypusk 3. Zemli Zakavkaz’ia i sopredel’nykh oblastei Maloi Azii i Irana / Sostavitel’ A. D. Zheltiakov [Book of Travel. (Extracts from the Work of the Turkish Traveler of the 17th Century). Translation and Commentary. Issue 3. Lands of Transcaucasia and Adjacent Regions of Asia Minor and Iran / Compiled by A. D. Zheltyakov]. Moscow: Nauka Publ. 376 p. (In Russian)
14. Gibal P. (2017). Obozrenie Kryma, Novorossii i Kavkaza v dnevnike puteshestviia iz Odessy v Tifl is Polia Gibalia [Review of Crimea, Novorossiya and the Caucasus in the Travel Diary from Odessa to Tifl is by Paul Gibal, 1818–1819; [compiled, foreword, commentary, translation from French, indicated by T. P. Peters]. Moscow: Russkiy Mir Publ. 416 p. (In Russian)
15. Gumba M. (2013). Katz Maan (1766–1866). Sukhum: [s. n.]. 48 p. (In Russian)
16. Inal-ipa Sh. D. (1965). Abkhazy (Istoriko- etnograficheskie ocherki) [Abkhazians (Historical and ethnographic essays)]. Sukhumi: Izd-vo “Alashara” Publ. 695 p. (In Russian)
17. Kvarchia V. E. (2019). Sobranie trudov v 7-mi tomakh. Tom III. Toponimika Abkhazii [Collected works in 7 volumes. Volume III. Toponymy of Abkhazia]. Sukhumi: Academia Publ. 678 p. (In Russian)
18. Maan O. V. (2013). Abkhaziia i Gulrypshskii raion Abkhazii. Istoriia, etnografi ia [Gulrypsh District of Abkhazia. History, Ethnography]. Sukhumi: RUP “Dom Pechati” Publ. 496 p. (In Russian)
19. Maan O. V. (2020). Abkhaziia i vneshnii mir: etnokul’turnye, politicheskie i ekonomicheskie sviazi (VIII–XVIII vv.). Istoriko- etnologicheskoe issledovanie [Abkhazia and the Outside World: Ethno-cultural, Political and Economic Ties (8th-18th Centuries). Historical and Ethnological Study]. Sukhumi: [s. n.]. 540 p. (In Russian)
20. Machavariani K. D. (1913). Opisatel’nyi putevoditel’ po gorodu Sukhumu i Sukhumskomu Okrugu. S istoriko- etnografi cheskim ocherkom Abkhazii. [Descriptive guide to the city of Sukhum and Sukhum District. With a Historical and Ethnographic Essay on Abkhazia]. Sukhum: Tipografi a “Pobeda” Publ. 359 p. (In Russian)
21. Materialy po istorii Abkhazii XIX veka (1803–1839). Sbornik dokumental’nykh materialov. T. I. / sost. G. A. Dzidzariia [Materials on the History of Abkhazia in the 19th century (1803–1839). Collection of documentary materials. Vol. I. / compiled by G. A. Dzidzaria] (2008). Sukhumi: AbIGI named after D. I. Gulia Publ. 288 p. (In Russian)
22. Nemirovich- Danchenko V. I. (1897). Sokolinye gnezda. Povest’ iz byta kavkazskikh gortsev [Falcon Nests. A Tale from the Life of the Caucasian Highlanders]. Moscow: Tipografia K. L. Menshova Publ. 112 p. (In Russian)
23. Ochamchyra. 2500 let / gl. red. V. Sh. Avidzba, sost. A. I. Dzhopua [Ochamchira. 2500 years / ed.-in-chief V. Sh. Avidzba, compiled by A. I. Dzhopua]. (2008). Sukhumi — Nizhny Novgorod: OOO “VEK” Publ. 164 p. (In Russian)
24. Osmanli kaleleri (2016). Istanbul: T. C. Başbakanlık, Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü, Osmanlı Arşivi Daire Başkanlığı. 268 p. (In Turkish)
25. Otchet Obshchestva vosstanovleniia Pravoslavnogo Khristianstva na Kavkaze, za 1868 god [Report of the Society for the Restoration of Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus, for 1868]. (1869). Tiflis: Tipografia glavnogo upravlenia namestnika kavkazkogo Publ. 90 p. (In Russian)
26. Otchet sostoiashchego pod avgusteishim pokrovitel’stvom ee imperatorskogo velichestva, gosudaryni imperatritsy Marii Fedorovny, Obshchestva vosstanovleniia pravoslavnogo khristianstva na Kavkaze za 1898, 1899, 1900 i 1901 gody [Report of the Society for the Restoration of Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus, under the august patronage of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Maria Feodorovna, for the years 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901]. (1903). Tiflis: Tipografi a Kanzeliarii Glavnonach. grajd. gh. na Kavkaze, Lor.-Melik. ul., d. kazen. Publ. 228 p. (In Russian)
27. Safonov S. V. (1837). Poezdka k vostochnym beregam Chernogo moria, na korvette “Ifi geniia”, v 1836 godu [Trip to the Eastern Shores of the Black Sea, on the Corvette “Iphigenia”, in 1836]. Odessa: gorodskaia tipografia. 72 p. (In Russian)
28. Shamba G. K. (2005). Drevnii Sukhum (Poiski, nakhodki, razmyshleniia) [Ancient Sukhum (Search, Finds, Refl ections)]. Sukhumi: Alashara Publ. 208 p. (In Russian)
29. Smyr G. V. (1972). Islam v Abkhazii i puti preodoleniia ego perezhitkov v sovremennykh usloviiakh [Islam in Abkhazia and Ways to Overcome its Remnants in Modern Conditions]. Tbilisi: Iz-vo “Metzniereba” Publ. 227 p. (In Russian)
30. Smyr G. V. (1997). Evoliutsiia religioznykh verovanii u abkhazov. Dissertatsiia na soiskanie uchenoi stepeni doktora istoricheskikh nauk [Evolution of Religious Beliefs among the Abkhazians. Dissertation for the degree of Doctor in Historical Sciences]. Maykop. 513 p. (In Russian)
31. Starovoitova G. V. (2012). Iz polevogo dnevnika abkhazskoi ekspeditsii 1983 g. [From the Field Diary of the Abkhaz Expedition of 1983]. Dzhigetskii sbornik, vyp. 1. Voprosy etnokul’turnoi istorii Zapadnoi Abkhazii ili Dzhigetii / pod obshch. red. D. A. Chachkhalia [Dzhigetsky collection, issue 1. Issues of the Ethno-cultural History of Western Abkhazia or Dzhigetia / edited by D. A. Chachkhalia]. Moscow: AKBA-Abaza Publ., pp. 337–343. (In Russian)
Review
For citations:
Kvaratskheliia S.R. Mosques of Abkhazia: A Retrospective Analysis. Islam in the modern world. 2025;21(1):173-196. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22311/2074-1529-2025-21-1-173-196
Views:
75
Email this article 