Jumah Mosque (Juma Mosque)

The Jumah Mosque, also written Juma Mosque, stands on Botanikuri Street in the Abanotubani district of Old Tbilisi, next to the sulfur baths and a short walk below Narikala Fortress. It is one of the best-known religious buildings in Georgia because it is a rare example of a mosque shared by Sunni and Shia worshippers, who pray together under one roof. The present building dates from the nineteenth century, built in 1895 on the site of earlier mosques, and its brick facade and slender minaret combine Persian and Ottoman influences, with decorative brickwork and blue tile details. The interior is a simple, carpeted prayer hall with painted ceilings, and the courtyard has a washing fountain. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times, and the staff or community members at the gate often explain the building's history. Modest dress is required: both men and women should cover shoulders and knees, women cover their hair, and everyone removes shoes before entering. Photography is usually accepted in the courtyard and sometimes inside, but visitors should ask first and avoid photographing worshippers. A visit takes about 20 minutes, though many visitors combine it with a stroll through the surrounding bathhouse quarter. Friday midday is the main prayer time, when the mosque is closed to sightseers and crowded with worshippers, so mid-morning on another day is better. The mosque is about ten minutes on foot from Freedom Square and sits beside the Abanotubani baths, within sight of the waterfall valley and the Orbeliani Baths. It illustrates the city's mixed religious heritage, since the Anchiskhati Basilica, Sioni Cathedral, an Armenian church and a synagogue all stand within a short walk of one another in the Old Town.