Map
South façade: yellow pillars, blue windows and three gables with colourful diamonds
07.07.2019 · south façade

Dungan mosque

A wooden mosque built in 1910 in the style of a Chinese temple, assembled without a single nail.

  • 1907–1910without a single nail
  • 6:00–21:00daily · check for your date
  • 20–50 somdonation, in cash
  • 30–40 minutesto look around
  • Central Karakol≈1 km on foot from the square
Kyrgyz SeasonsPlanning a trip?Ask about a trip

What to see

Nine stops in walking order

From the gate through the garden, along the south façade, back through the gallery, to the minaret and into the hall. Each stop has a number, a fact and something to find in the photo.

  1. The mosque with colourful gables and a blue minaret beyond a flowering garden, with a path leading to them28.04.2023

    garden1 / 9

    Gate and garden

    garden≈5 min

    The gate is on the south side, off Bektenov Street. The path leads through the garden to the mosque; trees blossom here in April.

    Next Main façade →
  2. South façade: yellow pillars, blue windows and three gables with colourful diamonds07.07.2019

    garden2 / 9

    Main facade

    garden≈5 min

    The long side faces south: a gallery on yellow pillars, white walls and blue windows with red inserts.

    Next Three roofs with diamonds →
  3. An upturned roof edge and a gable covered in colourful diamonds21.08.2018

    garden3 / 9

    Three roofs with diamonds

    garden≈3 min

    Three gables with colourful diamonds rise above the façade. The roof edges curve upwards.

    Next Dragons at the corners →
  4. A carved dragon’s head at the upturned end of a corner beam, with a golden finial above it01.08.2019

    outside4 / 9

    Dragons at the corners

    outside≈3 min

    Carved dragons sit beneath the upturned roof ends.

    Next Cornice carving →
  5. A turquoise cornice with several tiers of openwork carving showing fruit and leaves28.04.2023

    covered gallery5 / 9

    Carved cornice

    covered gallery≈5 min

    The cornice has several tiers of openwork carving with fruit and leaves.

    Next Pillared gallery →
  6. Tiers of carved wooden brackets under the roof corner21.08.2018

    covered gallery7 / 9

    Nail-free brackets

    covered gallery≈3 min

    Carved brackets project tier by tier under the roof corner.

    Next Pagoda minaret →
  7. A blue wooden minaret tower with three tiers and a golden dome23.09.2023

    outside8 / 9

    Pagoda minaret

    outside≈3 min

    A separate three-tier wooden tower by the east entrance.

    Next Prayer hall →
  8. Prayer hall: orange pillars, yellow ceiling and red carpet01.08.2019

    inside9 / 9

    Prayer hall

    inside≈10 min

    Entry is from the east. Tourists are not admitted during prayers and sometimes at other times; ask at the entrance.

    Next Over a century in six dates ↓

History

Over a century in six dates

  1. 1877Dungans in Karakol

    After the 1862–1877 uprising in China, Dungan settlers arrive in Karakol and form a community.

  2. 1907A master from Beijing

    The community invites master Zhou Si and 20 carvers. The start of work is also dated to 1904.

  3. 1910The mosque is finished

    The spruce frame is assembled without nails: the beams interlock with slots. The three roofs face south.

  4. 1930sSoviet years

    The mosque closes and the minaret is lost. The tower is rebuilt a decade later.

  5. 1987In archive photos

    The same frame and carving; ablution jugs stand by the minaret.

  6. NowA working mosque

    An architectural monument protected by law. Tourists are allowed into the grounds and the gallery.

1987 The town was then called Przhevalsk
2023 The same corner: roof, gallery and pillars

Seasons

One mosque, four seasons

The mosque opens year-round; the garden, light and weather change. Monthly temperatures in Karakol are averages for 2016–2025, not a forecast.

  1. The mosque with a red roof and three gables beyond flowering trees

    Spring

    March–May

    Garden trees blossom in April, shown in a photo taken on 28 April 2023. Mornings are still around freezing.

    • MarchKarakol +5° / −5°
    • AprilKarakol +10° / 0°
    • MayKarakol +15° / +4°
  2. South façade: yellow pillars, blue windows and three gables with colourful diamonds

    Summer

    June–August

    The garden is green and the days are warm. The south facade is in the sun almost all day.

    • JuneKarakol +18° / +8°
    • JulyKarakol +21° / +11°
    • AugustKarakol +20° / +10°
  3. Mosque roofs and a minaret behind a wooden fence and yellow trees

    Autumn

    September–November

    Poplars beyond the fence turn yellow in October, shown in an October 2005 photograph. Nights are frosty by November.

    • SeptemberKarakol +17° / +6°
    • OctoberKarakol +9° / −1°
    • NovemberKarakol +2° / −8°
  4. South façade: yellow pillars, blue windows and three gables with colourful diamonds

    Winter

    December–February

    Around freezing by day, down to −12° at night. The mosque is open all year round; check the winter opening hours.

    • DecemberKarakol −2° / −11°
    • JanuaryKarakol −3° / −13°
    • FebruaryKarakol 0° / −10°

Where it is

Location
Issyk-Kul Region
From the centre
≈800 m from central Karakol
Elevation
1 730 m
Coordinates
42.50° N, 78.39° E

Included in these guides

Open in Maps

Plan your visit

Walking directions, opening times and etiquette

Getting there on foot

  1. ≈1 km · on foot

    From Karakol centre

    12–15 minutes. Town marshrutka: 20 som; taxis within Karakol: from 100 som check for your date

  2. Address

    Abdrakhm., 140

    Corner of Bektenov Street, north of the junction

  3. Entry to the grounds

    Gate on the south side

    From Bektenov Street, then along the garden path

  4. Hall entrance

    From the east

    By the minaret; leave shoes at the threshold

Hours and prices

Opening hours
≈6:00–21:00daily; 8:00–18:00 is also given
Admission
20–50 somdonation, in cash
Time needed
30–40 min
Toilets
inside the groundsfree of charge

check for your date Opening hours and the donation amount may change; for 2026, the amount is 50 som.

Etiquette

  • Clothing. Women should cover their arms, legs and head. Hooded robes are provided at the entrance. Men should not wear shorts.
  • Prayer. Tourists cannot enter the hall during prayer, sometimes at other times too. The hall is occupied for the longest time around midday on Fridays.
  • Shoes. Remove them before entering the hall.
  • Indoor photography. Ask permission at the entrance.
  • This is an active mosque. Speak quietly and do not walk in front of people praying.

What to bring

Clothing
Keep with you

Ticks are saved in this browser only.

Check on site

  • Hours for your dateat the entrance, especially in winter and Ramadan
  • Donation amountat the entrance
  • Whether the hall is open nowask the caretaker
  • Whether indoor photography is allowedask the caretaker
Kyrgyz SeasonsPlanning a trip?Ask about a trip

Keep planning

Guides and ready-made itineraries

Pages that include this place in a guide or itinerary.

Included in guides

Routes and programmes

All photos

The mosque in photographs since 1987

Real photos, each with the date it was taken. Tap or click to enlarge.

  1. 1987
  2. 1987
  3. 1987
  4. October 2005
  5. October 2005
  6. 21.08.2018
  7. 21.08.2018
  8. 07.07.2019
  9. 01.08.2019
  10. 01.08.2019
  11. 01.08.2019
  12. 28.04.2023
  13. 28.04.2023
  14. 28.04.2023
  15. 28.04.2023
  16. 28.04.2023
  17. 28.04.2023
  18. 28.04.2023
  19. 28.04.2023
  20. 23.09.2023