TARAZ, Kazakhstan -- Authorities in Zhambyl Province completed the restoration of the oldest mosque in Taraz, Kazinform reported Thursday (June 14), citing the provincial tourism department.
The mosque is set to be a unique tourist attraction of the city and is expected to help boost the province's tourist industry.
Kazakh archaeologists discovered the mosque in 2006. It dates from the early days of Islam and was rebuilt from a 7th-century Nestorian temple. Construction of the mosque occurred more than 10 centuries ago.
The mosque has been helpful in determining the timing of the rise of Islamic culture in Central Asia.