Odesa Muslims have a long tradition. The city of Odesa was built on the site of an ancient
Tatar settlement called Hadzhibey. The settlement was founded by
Hacı I Giray, the
Khan of
Crimea, in 1240, and originally named after him as
Hacıbey (pronounced the same as
Hadzhibey). A Tatar mosque, built by renowned architect
Karbalayi Safikhan Karabakhi, was located in the center of the city, alongside it a Muslim
cemetery. With the arrival of
Soviet power, life dramatically changed for Odesa Muslims. Tatar
mullah, Sabirzyan Safarov, was shot; the mosque was closed and later destroyed. The Muslim cemetery was also razed. The Arabian Cultural Center was constructed at the expense of the
Syrian businessman, Kivan Adnan. The center operates a free school and
library for teaching
Arabic to everyone, regardless of age or nationality. ==References==