Juma Mosque
ჯუმა მეჩეთი
Juma Mosque, Tbilisi, Georgia, photographed in 2022
General information
Location	Botanical Street, Old Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
Coordinates	41°41′13.9″N 44°48′36.7″E / 41.687194°N 44.810194°E / 41.687194; 44.810194

Juma Mosque (Georgian: ქართული ტექსტი) is the only surviving mosque in Tbilisi’s historic Old Town.^[1] Located at the foot of Narikala Fortress on Botanical Street, it is notable for its shared use by both Sunni and Shia Muslims.^[2][3]

Muslims have lived in Tbilisi since the Arab conquest in the 7th century, and the city once had multiple mosques.^[4] The original Juma Mosque was built by the Ottomans in the early 18th century at the foot of Narikala Fortress. It was destroyed by Persian forces in the 1740s, then rebuilt between 1846–1851 by the Italian architect Giovanni Scudieri.^[5] In 1895, funded by Azerbaijani philanthropist Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, it was rebuilt again in its current red-brick form. The mosque underwent restoration in 1998.^[6][7]

The mosque is constructed of red brick and combines Neo-Gothic and Islamic architectural elements. It features arched windows along its walls and an eight-sided polygonal minaret visible from Botanical Street. Both the exterior and interior are decorated with colorful mosaics.^[8][9][10]

Juma Mosque serves both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Originally separated by a curtain, the two groups began praying together in 1996, making it one of the few mosques where both rites share a single prayer space.^[11][12] The mosque is also the focal point for Friday prayers and celebrations of Eid al‑Adha and Eid al‑Fitr, drawing both local worshippers and tourists.^[13][14][15]

The mosque stands among other religious landmarks in Old Tbilisi, including bathhouses, synagogues, and churches, exemplifying the city’s long-standing tradition of religious diversity and tolerance.^[16][17][18]