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There is a Dungan (Chinese) mosque in Karakol built by a Chinese architect and 20 artisans between 1907 and 1910. It was built entirely of wood, without a single nail. The Dungans first arrived in Karakol, as refugees, in 1877 and created a small community. The Bolsheviks closed the mosque from 1933 until 1943, but it was then reopened and has operated as a place of worship since then. The Mosque is set into its own territory and the distinctive decoration (it is painted in bright colors – red, green and yellow – and bears reliefs depicting various types of flora and mythical animals such as dragons and the phoenix) that give it an original character. There is a veranda by the entrance to the large central space.
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