Bibi-Heybat Mosque

Shia pilgrimage mosque on the Caspian shore, built 1281, demolished 1936 and faithfully reconstructed in the 1990s

On the shores of the Caspian Sea at the edge of Baku stands the Bibi-Heybat Mosque, one of the most important Shia pilgrimage sites in the South Caucasus. Originally built in 1281 under the Shirvanshah dynasty, it was named after the sister of the eighth Shia Imam ʿAlī ibn Mūsā ar-Ridā. Its history mirrors the turbulence of the 20th century: demolished by Soviet authorities in 1936, its site was paved over for decades. Following Azerbaijani independence, it was faithfully reconstructed in the 1990s. Today it functions as a living place of worship and a national symbol of religious renewal.