The Cathedral of St. Nicholas was erected in 1893 in the Old Town of Yevpatoria near the Juma-Jami Mosque. The domes of the mosque and the Orthodox cathedral rise above the seaport of Yevpatoria and symbolize the multiculturalism of the city, which is called Little Jerusalem.
Yevpatoria was called the Little Jerusalem, because there are temples of many religions in close proximity to each other. There is a Muslim mosque, a Christian church, a Jewish synagogue, Karaite kenassas, a tekie of dervishes, an Armenian temple. Such a concentration of temples of different religions in close proximity to each other is only in Jerusalem.
The first church of St. Nicholas was built in Yevpatoria in 1805, but it was badly damaged during the assault and subsequent occupation of Yevpatoria during the Crimean War of 1853-56. A few decades later, the church became dilapidated and looked very modest against the background of the mosque and other temples. In 1893, by order of Emperor Alexander III, the construction of a large cathedral began.
The Juma Jami Mosque, which is located next to the cathedral, was built by the Ottoman architect Sinan in 1552. It repeats the architectural traditions of the Byzantine Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The Cathedral of St. Nicholas was also decided to be built in the same architectural style. It has a large dome with a diameter of 18 meters. Half-domes cascade down from it on the sides.
