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Nemėžis Mosque

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Religious Heritage
Vilnius District Tourism Information Center

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Nemėžis, known for its historical summer residence of Vytautas the Great and his wife Juliana, stands out as a unique Lithuanian cultural heritage site. Events dating back to the 14th century reveal that Vytautas settled a Tatar community here in 1397. About 120 of their descendants still live in Nemėžis, cherishing the traditions, faith, and customs of their ancestors. The Nemėžis Mosque, originally built in 1684 and reconstructed in 1909 following a fire, according to architect A. Sonin's design, is a valuable example of wooden architecture. This rectangular building with a hip roof and a characteristic minaret tower is one of the symbols of the spiritual life of Nemėžis residents. The old Tatar cemetery nearby also testifies to the long-standing traditions of the community. Despite the trials of wars and the Soviet era, during which the mosque was damaged and even faced threats of destruction, the Tatar community's efforts

and determination saved the sanctuary and restored its status as an important spiritual place. After the Soviet attempt to demolish the mosque in 1956 and a fire in 1963 that necessitated the cutting down of the burning minaret, the community showed extraordinary resilience. Since 1978, when the mosque returned to the ownership of the Muslim community, it has been renewed and restored, maintaining its historical and cultural value. Renovation and restoration work carried out in 1993 and 2009 allowed the Nemėžis Mosque to regain its lost beauty and continue as a Muslim place of worship. The nearby cemetery continues to tell the story of the Tatar community and its ties to Lithuanian history. Nemėžis and its mosque, with their impressive historical past and rich cultural heritage, continue to be one of the most important religious tourism sites in Lithuania, revealing the rich cultural and religious diversity of the country.

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