Toyba Mosque

I am not a religious person, but nevertheless I am fascinated with religious buildings. Here in Azerbaijan, most people automatically assume that I am a Christian because I am from the States. They are confused when I tell them that I am Agnostic. Nothing freaks religious people out more than someone who openly questions the existence of a deity. While I am content with my own religious questions, I believe in being a good person and treating other people well. I think most religions basically believe the same thing.

A mosque close to where i live is called Toyba. It is a small mosque but I keep passing it by and decided to stop by and take some photos. I was surprised that the leader of the mosque decided to give me a tour of the mosque. Muhammed was a very friendly individual and tried to speak with me in his limited English and I tried to answer in my limited Azeri. He sat me at his desk and asked about my job and family and proceeded to show the rest of the mosque. While it was nothing fancy when compared to the mosques of Turkey, it was still comfortable in its whiteness. Muhammed blessed me at the end of the tour and asked me to donate some money to help the sick, which I did. Overall, I enjoyed my time in the little mosque.

I was hoping to visit the Taza Mosque. It is the largest mosque in Azerbaijan, but it is currently being restored. I have no idea when it will be done, hopefully soon.