Student Tour in Kazakhstan.

«Memory is the treasure house of the mind wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved»

Thomas Fuller.

Educational Tours in Kazakhstan.

Nametbai's mosque is considered to be the oldest mosque of the city Taraz. This monument of religious architecture of the XIX century was built in 1867. The mosque got its name in honor of one of the wealthiest residents of the city of that time, pious Nametbai.
It was on his initiative and his personal funds the mosque had been constructed. The name of the project designer, architects who had constructed the mosque of Nametbai is not survived.
The mosque building was worked in detail, considering the peculiarities of the ground and local climate. The mosque represents light, delicate construction with a big adjacent yard. In fact, it is a typical Asian mosque of a palatial kind.
The basic distinction of such mosques lies in mihrab looking towards a yard, and all the territory of the yard is covered by a permanent wood shed and represents an integrated space for praying.
In hot days, the faithful can pray in the yard under the shed not entering the other premises. The main space of the mosque consists of three large rooms, the total size of which is 26,9 × 80 m. 
Two of them have a common entrance and open into passes, the third has a separate entrance. The construction is built on a foundation of quarry stone, the walls are double frame with clay filling. 
The ceiling is made ofcurved wooden joists, on which thin fillets are laid. The joists are supported by carved wooden columnswith the height of 4.25 m. Roof coating is iron. The ceiling is decorated with exquisite multicolor paintingswith floral and geometric patterns, retaining the characteristic architectural and design features and decor of that era.
Over the years of its existence, Nametbai's mosque repeatedly underwent various redesigns andadditional construction. It is known that the mosque was significantly rebuilt in 1911 - 1913.
Its originalhistorical building preserved on a small area to the right of the main entrance. In 1982, Nametbai's mosque was included in the list of the monuments of history and culture of the Kazakh SSR of national significance and taken under state protection.

Authority:
http://culturemap.kz