The old mosque stands in Duisi, the largest village of the Pankisi valley. The word old distinguishes it from a second, newer mosque in the same village about three hundred metres away.
Pankisi differs markedly from the rest of Kakheti: the Kist community lives here, descendants of Vainakh settlers, and Islam is as much a part of everyday life in the valley as Orthodoxy is in the neighbouring lowland villages. A mosque here is not an exotic sight but an ordinary prayer building. Further up the valley, in Jokolo, a mosque and an Orthodox church stand some hundred and fifty metres apart, and such proximity is worth seeing in person.
This is an active prayer building with its own rules: shoes are removed at the entrance, clothing should be covered, and women need a headscarf. It is better to come outside prayer times, and photography is asked about with the community in advance.
🕌 Visiting rules
- An active prayer building, the older of the two mosques in the village
- Duisi in the middle part of the Pankisi valley, north of Akhmeta
- Further up the valley in Jokolo a mosque and an Orthodox church stand side by side
🚗 Getting there
- Landmark - the village of Duisi in the middle of the Pankisi valley, north of Akhmeta
- A route is built with the Build Route button
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