Mongolia
The first encounter of Islam with the territory of present-day Mongolia was in the 10th century through the Samanids.
and in the coming centuries, this contact continued with the Mongol Muslim community, especially with the Turks and Persians. However, the spreading of Islam in Mongolia became possible through the Cossacks in the eastern parts of the country in the 19th century.
.Yet, the groups that accepted Islam in the country are generally Turkish descendants. The communist regime that ruled Mongolia after independence was very distressing for Muslims in the country, and during this period, freedom of belief and worship was banned, and mosques were burned and demolished. Islam in Mongolia started to revive in the 1990s, and since the end of the one-party rule, a relative recovery started for Muslims in the country.
Today, estimation of around 150,000-200,000 Muslims in Mongolia, which is about 5% of the total population. The majority of Muslims in the country are Kazakhs and Khoton Turks, who are concentrated in eastern Mongolia. In addition, there are a small number of Mongolians who have converted to Islam. Founded in 1990, the Mongolian Muslim Association is concerned with the religious issues of the Muslims in the country and works to increase political representation. There are currently nearly 50 mosques open for worship in Mongolia.
The places of worship and religious education institutions in the country are built and funded by mainly Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the gulf countries. The Ulaanbaatar Hz. Osman Mosque and Islamic Cultural Center, which was constructed by TIKA, was inaugurated by R. Tayyip Erdoğan in 2013. Also, independent civil society organizations in Olgiy in the eastern part of the country continue providing humanitarian aid and organizing sacrifice ceremonies.
