LEGEND
Residing in Belarus at present there are representatives of Azerbaijanian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen, Kurd, Turk, and Tartar nationalities making up a total of 45,000 Moslems in Belarus including 12,500 Tartars who first settled in Belarus in the 14th cent.
The geographical location and the number of Moslem communities in Belarus keep on expanding. Thus, in 1997 there were 23 communities including 19 of those in the Western regions of Belarus.
In 1994, the First All-Belarusian Congress of Moslems was held. As a result, the Moslem Religious Community of the Republic of Belarus was founded. Ever since it has been headed by I. Aleksandrovich.
First mosques appeared on the territory of Belarus in the 14th – 15th cent.
In 1994, the Mosque in Slonim was opened, and in 1996 the one in Smilovichi.
In July 1997 in memory of the 600 anniversary of settlement of Tartars in Belarus, there took place a ceremony of opening a Mosque in Novogrudok.
In the 19th cent. the Mosque in the town of Ivye was built. It is considered a monument of the Belarusian wooden architecture.
Today there are 4 acting Mosques in Belarus and a 5th one is under construction.
In 1997, the foundation stone was laid for a future Mosque in Minsk.
Tour “Moslem Places In Belarus”
Itinerary: Minsk – Ivye – Novogrudok – Slonim – Minsk – Smilovichi – Berezinsky Biosphere Nature Reserve – Minsk
Duration: 5 days/ 4 nights.
- Arrival in “Minsk-2” International Airport
- Transfer to the hotel with guide assistance
- Check-in at 3-star hotel in the center of the city. Meeting with “VneshIntourist” management
- Time at leisure
- Dinner
Day 2
- Breakfast.
- Departure for Ivye ( 130 km) one of the places in Belarus, where Moslems first settled in the 14th century
- Departure for Novogrudok (60 km), once the first capital of the Great Duchy of Lithuania – the powerful state (the 13th – 18th cent.) including Belarusian territory
- Visiting the Mosque in Ivye, meeting with local Moslem community
- Sightseeing tour of Novogrudok, visiting the Mosque, meeting with Moslem community.
- Departure for Slonim (85 km), the city of Belarus founded in the 11th century, rich in architectural ensembles of the 17th – 18th centuries of different confessions,
- Sightseeing tour of Slonim visiting the Mosque
- Departure for Minsk – the capital of Belarus (first mentioned in 1067)
- Check-in at the hotel
- Dinner
Day 3
- Breakfast (40 km)
- Departure for Smilovichi
- Visiting the Mosque, meeting with local Moslem community
- Departure for the Berezinsky Biosphere Nature Reserve (110 km) – one of the most beauti ful places of nature in Belarus under UNESCO protection
- Arrival at the Berezinsky Biosphere Nature Reserve
- Lunch in the local restaurant
- Tour of the Nature reserve including Museum of nature, open-air cages with animals, the eco- logical path, acquaintance with surrounding beautiful nature
- Departure for Minsk (130 km)
- Dinner
- Evening cultural program
Day 4
- Breakfast
- Sightseeing tour of Minsk including architectural ensembles & monuments of the 17th – 19th cent. & modern architecture
- Visiting the place where Mosque of Minsk will be erected (the total number of Mosques in Belarus will be 5)
- Lunch
- Meeting with Moslem Religious Community of Belarus (all in all there are about 45,000 Mos- lems in Belarus)
- Time at leisure
- Farewell dinner with folk show
Day 5
- Breakfast
- Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Day 1