MOSQUE AS THE CENTER OF SOCIAL LIFE OF UMMAH OF THE VOLGA FEDERAL DISTRICT

The article is devoted to the study of the sociocultural phenomenon of the mosque by considering it as a place of prayer and also as a center of social life of the Muslim Ummah. The article describes the historical development of mosques as a sort of political centre for the Islamic community, as well as the transformation of the role of mosques in the life of nowadays Muslims. The authors give a brief description of the largest mosques that are located within the Middle East, the European Union and the Russian Federation, who claim the role of the center of social life of Muslims. On the example of the Volga Federal district and its capital city of Nizhny Novgorod, the authors analyzed the contribution of mosques in social and political life of the Muslim Ummah, and also gave some recommendations to solve the existing problems of mosques that interfere with the normal development and functioning of the Muslim Ummah in the region.