Bisen Hazret Mosque

History

Bisen Hazret was born in 1878 in the Zhamankol summer pasture near the present-day village of Zharyk in the Kobda District. His father, Abdolla, was engaged in religious education and made the pilgrimage to Mecca twice.

When Bisen Hazret turned 15, his father sent him to Bukhara to study. After successfully completing three years of education at a madrasah, he continued his studies in Istanbul for another five years and returned to his homeland at the age of 23.

By the time Bisen Hazret returned home, his father, Abdolla, had passed away during a pilgrimage. Before his death, Abdolla had told his fellow pilgrims that his son was pursuing his education and that he intended to build a mosque upon his son's return. He entrusted them with the responsibility of ensuring that his unfulfilled wish would be carried out.

Honouring his father's final wish, Bisen Hazret commissioned Birman (Birmagambet), a renowned master builder from the Oiyl region, to construct a mosque and madrasah in Zhamankol. He taught children at this mosque-madrasah for 16 years.

As the Soviet Union intensified its anti-religious policies, Bisen Hazret faced persecution. From 1928 until his return to his homeland in 1963, he was forced to live in Bashkortostan and various settlements of the Akbulak District in Orenburg Oblast. In 1951, he was accused of being an "enemy of the people" and exiled to Irkutsk. Following Stalin's death, he was fully rehabilitated in 1956.

In 1957, Bisen Hazret travelled to Bukhara, where he had once studied, together with his contemporaries, Mullah Karimbergen and Sagidolla Hazret.

Bisen Hazret passed away in 1969 at the age of 91. In accordance with his final wishes, he was buried beside Birman Auliye in Kumsai.

Research History

The monument was studied in 2008 as part of the national strategic Cultural Heritage Programme. In 2017, the Amanat expedition organised by the Turan television channel conducted scientific research at the site. Based on the findings, books were published and television programmes were produced.

Brief Description of the Monument

The monument was built in the architectural style of mosques widely found in the region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The building is oriented along an axis extending from northeast to southwest.

The mosque is a single-storey, rectangular building constructed from unfired mud bricks. Its foundation is made of natural stone slabs. The interior consists of three rooms. The openings of ten windows and one entrance doorway have been preserved.

The building measures 15 metres in length and 6.8 metres in width, with a preserved height of 3.5 metres.

Why Is This Monument Important?

The Bisen Hazret Mosque is a valuable testament to the history of religious education in the region. It reflects the role of mosques and madrasahs in the early 20th century, the craftsmanship of local builders, and the community's aspiration for knowledge.

The monument commemorates Bisen Hazret's devotion to fulfilling his father's final wish, his educational activities, and the hardships he endured during Soviet political repression. Therefore, the site represents not only an architectural heritage landmark but also a symbol of historical memory, spiritual continuity, and human resilience.

Did You Know?

• Bisen Hazret studied in Bukhara and Istanbul for a total of eight years.

• The mosque-madrasah was built in accordance with the final wish of Bisen Hazret's father, Abdolla.

• Bisen Hazret provided religious and general education to children at this institution for 16 years.

• A five-page handwritten account in diary form, written during his exile in Irkutsk, has been preserved.

• Bisen Hazret's passport, issued upon his rehabilitation and release from prison in 1956, along with the diary he kept during his exile, is preserved at the Rukhaniyat Museum.

• The mosque was built by Birman (Birmagambet), a renowned master builder from the Oiyl region.

• The Bisen Hazret Mosque is recognised as a historical and cultural monument of local significance and is included in the list of Sacred Sites of Kazakhstan.

Sources

1. A. Musayev: Bisen Hazret // Ana Tili newspaper, April 13, 2012.

2. A. Tangirberdikyzy: A Manuscript Left by Bisen Hazret // Aktobe newspaper, May 29, 2014.

3. I. Kubaidollauly: Hazrets from Kobda // Aktobe newspaper, May 11, 2017.

4. I. Zhaimagambetova: Monuments Along the Kobda River // Aktobe newspaper, January 11, 2019.