Kruszyniany Mosque

From a distance it looks like one of the two-towered wooden churches typical of the Podlasie region. Only up close do you notice the crescents on the cupolas and the dark green of the walls — the colour of Islam. Kruszyniany Mosque is the oldest surviving place of worship of the Polish Tatars, mentioned in documents as early as 1717, and according to tradition the village was granted to Tatar soldiers by King John III Sobieski for their service in the war against the Ottoman Turks.

History: King John's Tatar village

The Tatars — also known as Lipka Tatars or Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania — have lived in the lands of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for around 600 years. In the 17th century Kruszyniany was granted to those who had fought for the Commonwealth against the Ottoman Empire. The settlers soon built a mosque; the present building probably dates from the second half of the 18th or the first half of the 19th century and stands on the site of an earlier one. A renovation in 1846 is recorded on a stone in the foundations next to the women's entrance.

On 22 October 2012 the mosques and Muslim cemeteries of Kruszyniany and Bohoniki were designated a Monument of History, the highest level of heritage protection in Poland. In 2010 the mosque was visited by Prince Charles, now King of the United Kingdom. In June 2014 unknown vandals defaced the walls of the mosque and gravestones in the cemetery; the damage was quickly repaired by the local, multi-faith community.

Architecture and interior

The building is a log structure on a rectangular plan of 10 × 13 m, clad inside and out with boards painted dark green. Two towers rise above the north front, and a third, smaller windowless turret stands on the roof ridge, set closer to the mihrab. All the cupolas are topped with crescents, and the main roof is covered with wooden shingles.

Inside, the traditional division applies: women enter through the door on the main axis and pray in a smaller section, while men use a side entrance to the prayer hall. The two parts are separated by a wooden partition with a long opening at about one metre's height, covered with white, transparent fabric.

What to see

• The mihrab — a niche in the wall facing south-east, showing the direction of Mecca.
• The minbar — a kind of pulpit to the right of the mihrab, from which the imam preaches.
• Muhirs — calligraphic quotations from the Quran decorating the walls — and the carpets on the floor.
• The mizar — the historic Muslim cemetery right next to the mosque, protected together with it as a Monument of History.

Did you know?

Until the death of the last local imam, Aleksander Bajraszewski, Friday prayers were held here regularly. Today sermons are given mainly on major holidays, when the imam comes from Białystok. Prayers are said in Arabic, with the faithful standing in rows facing the mihrab. In 2022 the Polish Post issued a stamp showing the Kruszyniany mosque in its "Beauty of Poland" series.

Tripto tip

The mosque is open to visitors but remains an active place of worship — be respectful, dress modestly and take off your shoes where the guide indicates. A guide from the Muslim community is available on site to tell the story of the Tatars; current contact details are on kruszyniany.com.pl. Allow about an hour for the mosque and cemetery. Kruszyniany lies a few kilometres from the Belarusian border — it is worth staying longer, trying Tatar cuisine and driving on to the other historic mosque, in Bohoniki.