HISTORIC MOSQUE IN BAKU REOPENS.

The historic Bibi-Eibat mosque in Baku, devastated by the Soviet authorities, reopened on July 12, following restoration mostly financed by the Azerbaijani state. Built in 1257, the mosque stands on the ninth-century graves of four presumed descendants of the prophet Muhammad. Azerbaijan’s religious and state authorities intend to turn the mosque into a place of pilgrimage for Muslims worldwide. Speaking at the reopening ceremony, President Haidar Aliev pledged state funds for adding to the mosque a “religious center,” made up of a library, a museum and a large assembly site. (Turan, July 13)

WESTERN COMPANIES TO PROSPECT AND DEVELOP DEEP LAYERS AT GARASH-SYZLYK.