Maria Sahai Photography

Family praying in Kusam ibn-Abbas mosque, Samarkand

At the moment almost 97% of Uzbeks are muslims. But the numbers were very different just 30 years ago. During the soviet times the Muslim Board of Central Asia, the official, Soviet-approved governing agency of the Muslim faith in the region, was based in Tashkent. However, the Muslims working or participating in any religious activity were carefully screened for political reliability. The government sponsored official anti-religious campaigns and many Muslims were subjected to intense Russification.

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Filename: UZBEKISTAN_samarkand_muslims_praying_ Kusam_ibn_Abbas_mosque_by_maria_sahai.JPG
Copyright: Maria Sahai (c)
Image Size: 4896x3264 / 7.2MB; www.mariasahai.com; travel maria sahai fujifilm xt-1 islam muslim history of islam religion mosque prayer religious ceremony persian architecture mosque interior Kusam ibn-Abbas

At the moment almost 97% of Uzbeks are muslims. But the numbers were very different just 30 years ago. During the soviet times the Muslim Board of Central Asia, the official, Soviet-approved governing agency of the Muslim faith in the region, was based in Tashkent. However, the Muslims working or participating in any religious activity were carefully screened for political reliability. The government sponsored official anti-religious campaigns and many Muslims were subjected to intense Russification.