The Irkutsk Cathedral Mosque, a prominent landmark in Irkutsk, Russia, has a rich history, including a wooden structure built in 1898, followed by a stone mosque with a minaret inspired by Kazan mosques, and periods of closure and restoration. It is located in the old section of town on Karl Liebknecht Steet.

The appearance of the first free Muslim settlers in the Irkutsk province is recorded by official sources at the beginning of the 19th century. According to the 1835 census, there were already up to 350 of them living in the city of Irkutsk alone. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, in the general flow of settlers associated with the policy of developing Siberia and implementing peasant reforms, many Muslims also rushed here from the European part of Russia. These were mainly Tatars and Bashkirs from the Volga and Ural regions – Kazan, Orenburg, Ufa and Perm provinces.

With their hard work and activity, they contributed to the development of the harsh region. With peasant labor, sometimes in the most difficult conditions of survival, more than one hectare of taiga land was uprooted for arable land. Workers, artisans and merchants participated in the construction of cities, towns and railways, in the development of production and trade. Strong in spirit and determination, many found their new homeland here, bringing with them their national culture and religion – Islam.