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Kul Sharif Mosque, Kazan

Kul Sharif Mosque in Kazan: the white building with turquoise domes and four tall minarets against a blue sky
Photo: A.Savin, FAL, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free (museum 250 ₽)
Opening hours
Daily 8:00–20:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
40 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Mosque entry
Free — no entry fee in the museum-reserve’s price list
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Friday
Closed to tourists 11:30–13:15 for Friday prayer
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Midday prayer
Daily 11:45–12:25, limited access to the visitor balconies
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum of Islamic Culture
250 ₽, students and pensioners 200 ₽, under-18s free
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum hours
9:00–19:30, tickets until 19:00; Friday break 11:30–13:15
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum on Mondays
The museum page says “daily”, but the Kremlin’s general schedule closes museums on Mondays, October to April
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Audio guide
300 ₽ — Tatar, Russian or English
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Dress code
Women cover their hair; everyone covers shoulders and knees; phones on silent
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Photos
Allowed — but not of people praying or leading a ceremony
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Scarves and shoe covers
Usually handed out free at the entrance
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Metro
Kremlyovskaya, then ≈ 10–15 min on foot via the Spasskaya Tower
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Payment
Visa and Mastercard issued abroad don’t work in Russia — bring roubles in cash
Address
Kremlin, Kazan 420111 — inside the Kazan Kremlin
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
55.79830, 49.10520YesGo MapGoogleAppleYandex

Key facts

2005opened on 24 June, for Kazan’s 1,000th anniversary
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaCyclopedia
1552Imam Kul Sharif died defending Kazan against Ivan the Terrible; the mosque bears his name
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
55–58 mheight of the four main minarets
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve — 55 mRussian Wikipedia — 58 m
1996–2005years of construction
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveRussian Wikipedia
36–39 mheight of the central dome, 17 m across
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve — 36 mRussian Wikipedia — 39 m
≈ 1,500worshippers fit in the main prayer hall, about 10,000 more on the square outside
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaCyclopedia
5 macross — the Czech crystal chandelier, weighing about 2 tonnes
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveRussian Wikipedia
Persian carpetsa gift from the government of Iran; marble and granite from the Urals
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveRussian Wikipedia
2 squaresset at 45° to each other give the building its octagonal plan
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveCyclopedia
2006the Museum of Islamic Culture opened on the lower floor on 21 February
2 sourcesCyclopediaZnanie.Wiki
UNESCOthe mosque stands within the Kazan Kremlin, a World Heritage site since 2000
2 sourcesUNESCO World Heritage ListRussian Wikipedia

Kul Sharif Mosque entry, opening hours and the museum

Entry is free. The mosque is open daily 8:00–20:00. On Fridays it closes to tourists from 11:30 to 13:15 for Friday prayer, and every day from 11:45 to 12:25 access to the visitor balconies is limited.

The only paid part is the Museum of Islamic Culture on the lower floor: 250 ₽, students and pensioners 200 ₽, under-18s free. It is open 9:00–19:30, with tickets sold until 19:00 at the Kremlin ticket offices and on the museum-reserve’s official website.

An audio guide in English costs 300 ₽ and is worth it — without the story, the interior is just very pretty.

How to get to Kul Sharif Mosque

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On foot

More tips

  1. Take the metro to Kremlyovskaya — about 5 minutes’ walk to the Spasskaya Tower, the Kremlin’s main gate.
  2. Or get off at Ploshchad Tukaya and walk pedestrian Bauman Street to its end at the Spasskaya Tower — 15–20 minutes.
  3. By bus: Tsentralny Stadion stop — routes 6, 15, 29, 35, 37, 47, 74, 75 and trolleybus 2.
  4. Walk through the Spasskaya Tower gate (open 24/7) and along the main avenue past the Annunciation Cathedral — 5–7 minutes to the mosque.
  5. Leave backpacks and suitcases at the hotel: they aren’t allowed inside the Kremlin.
  6. Afterwards, the Söyembikä Tower is right across the square.

Is Kul Sharif Mosque worth visiting?

Yes, if you’re in the Kremlin — and you will be. It’s free, it’s on the way, and the view of the prayer hall and chandelier from the balconies takes 20–30 minutes.

Be clear about what it is: a 2005 building, not a medieval monument. It’s Kazan’s symbol rather than a historic interior. The Museum of Islamic Culture is for those curious about Islam in the Volga region; on a tight schedule the balconies are enough. Don’t travel to Kazan just for the mosque — come for the whole Kazan Kremlin.

Dress code and visitor rules

Women cover their hair; everyone covers shoulders and knees. Scarves and capes are usually handed out at the entrance, but bringing your own is safer.

Phones go on silent. Photos are fine, except of people praying, reciting or leading a ceremony. Tourists may be kept out during religious events.

What to see inside

  • The prayer hall — seen from the visitor balconies on the upper level, which also hold the women’s prayer area.
  • The Czech crystal chandelier, 5 m across and about 2 tonnes, hanging under the dome.
  • Persian carpets gifted by Iran, Ural marble, stained glass, carved plaster and ceramic panels in a 16th-century style.
  • The dome’s tulip-shaped windows — best from the balconies.
  • The Museum of Islamic Culture in the basement: Turkic manuscripts and early printed books, Golden Horde ceramics and tiles, a model of the Nur-Ali Mosque and a miniature 19th-century Qur’an.

A short history

In the 16th century the khans’ fortress had a great mosque where Imam Kul Sharif served. He died with his students when Ivan the Terrible stormed Kazan in 1552, and the mosque was destroyed.

The new mosque was designed by the Tatinvestgrazhdanproekt institute — among its architects I. F. Sayfullin, A. Kh. Sattarov and M. V. Safronov — built from 1996 and opened on 24 June 2005, for the city’s millennium. The Museum of Islamic Culture followed in February 2006.

It shares a square with the 16th-century Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral — the pairing that helps make the Kremlin a symbol of Kazan’s two faiths.

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Kul Sharif vs the Annunciation Cathedral vs the Temple of All Religions

Kul Sharifyou are hereMosque, 2005Kazan KremlinFree, museum 250 ₽30–40 min
Annunciation Cathedral16th-century Orthodox cathedralKazan Kremlin, same squareCathedral 8:00–20:00, its museum 200 ₽15–20 min
Temple of All ReligionsIldar Khanov’s art buildingOld Arakchino, city outskirts300 ₽≈ 45 min plus travel

The mosque and the cathedral stand side by side — see both on one Kremlin walk. The Temple of All Religions is a separate trip to the edge of town.

Kazan’s places of worship compared

Every mosque, church and temple in Kazan rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Kul Sharif Mosqueyou are here7340 minFree—
Kazan Kremlin712 hGrounds free; museums 200–800 ₽3 min walk
Temple of All Religions3445 min300 RUB8.1 km
Sviyazhsk324 hIsland free, museums 1,000 RUB28.0 km
Raifa Monastery281 h 30 minFree26.1 km

The Kremlin and the centre in half a day

Walk Bauman Street, enter through the Spasskaya Tower, see Söyembikä and Kul Sharif, then leave via the Taynitskaya Tower for the Palace of Farmers. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Bauman Street1 h · Free
  2. 25 min walk from the previous stopKazan Kremlin2 h · Grounds free; museums 200–800 ₽
  3. 6 min walk from the previous stopSöyembikä Tower15 min · Free, outside only
  4. 4 min walk from the previous stopKul Sharif Mosqueyou are here40 min · Free (museum 250 ₽)
  5. 9 min walk from the previous stopPalace of Farmers15 min · Free, outside

5 places · about 4 h 54 min with walks · 44 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Kazan Kremlin

Kazan, Russia

2 h · Grounds free; museums 200–800 ₽ · 3 min walk

Söyembikä Tower

Kazan, Russia

15 min · Free, outside only · 4 min walk

Palace of Farmers

Kazan, Russia

15 min · Free, outside · 9 min walk

Kazan Federal University

Kazan, Russia

45 min · Outside free, museums from 350 ₽ · 23 min walk

How to do it right

  • Go in the morning before 11:30 to miss both the midday prayer and the Friday closure.
  • The Söyembikä Tower is opposite and the Annunciation Cathedral is on the same square — see all three in one go.
  • Rent the English audio guide (300 ₽) — the interior means much more with the story.
  • Short on time? Skip the museum; the balconies are the highlight.
  • Come back at night and look at the lit-up Kremlin from across the Kazanka.
  • Leave the Kremlin by the Taynitskaya Tower to reach the Palace of Farmers.

Questions

Is Kul Sharif Mosque free to enter?

Yes. Only the Museum of Islamic Culture on the lower floor charges: 250 ₽, students and pensioners 200 ₽, under-18s free.

What are Kul Sharif Mosque opening hours?

Daily 8:00–20:00. Tourists can’t enter on Fridays 11:30–13:15, and balcony access is limited every day 11:45–12:25.

Can tourists go inside Kul Sharif Mosque?

Yes — visitors go up to balconies overlooking the prayer hall. Women need a headscarf; everyone covers shoulders and knees.

Is Kul Sharif Mosque open on Friday?

Yes, except 11:30–13:15, when it closes to tourists for Friday prayer. Come in the morning or after 14:00.

How do I get to Kul Sharif Mosque?

Metro to Kremlyovskaya, a 5-minute walk to the Spasskaya Tower gate, then 5–7 minutes inside the Kremlin. Or walk Bauman Street from Ploshchad Tukaya.

What is the dress code at Kul Sharif Mosque?

Headscarf for women, shoulders and knees covered for everyone, phones on silent. Scarves and capes are usually available at the entrance.

Is Kul Sharif Mosque worth visiting?

Yes, as part of a Kremlin walk — it’s free and takes 30–40 minutes. It’s a 2005 building, so don’t expect a medieval interior.

When was Kul Sharif Mosque built?

Between 1996 and 2005; it opened on 24 June 2005 for Kazan’s 1,000th anniversary.

Who was Kul Sharif?

The imam of Kazan’s great mosque in the 16th century. He died defending the city when Ivan the Terrible’s army stormed it in 1552.

Can you take photos inside Kul Sharif Mosque?

Yes, but not of people praying or leading a religious ceremony.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Official website of the Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve: opening hours, prices and concessions, Museum of Islamic Culture, Kul Sharif Mosque, 29.10.2026
  • Russian Wikipedia: Kul Sharif (mosque); English Wikipedia: Qolşärif Mosque; Wikidata Q121198
  • Cyclopedia: Kul Sharif
  • Znanie.Wiki: Kul Sharif — opening of the Museum of Islamic Culture
  • UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin, No. 980, 2000
  • Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedHours, the Friday closure, museum fares, the audio guide and visitor rules come from the official museum-reserve website. Whether the museum opens on winter Mondays is unclear (its page says “daily”; the general schedule closes museums on Mondays October–April), so that row is marked “verifying”. Minaret and dome heights differ between sources (55 vs 58 m, 36 vs 39 m), so we show both. Capacity varies too (1,500 or 1,700 in the hall; 6,000 in English Wikipedia); we give 1,500 from the Russian Wikipedia text and Cyclopedia. The architects’ lists differ, so we name those that appear in both. Free scarves and shoe covers and the walking time from the metro come from travel guides and our map estimate and are marked “verifying”.

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