In the IX century. Derbent was mainly Arab city, but to the X-XI st. he became a multicultural and multi-ethnic. According to the testimony of the Arab author, Abu Hamid al-Garnati here permanently resident Arabs, Persians, Lezgins, Dargin, Ossetians Tabasarans, Avars, Turks, Kubachins, Laks, kaytagtsy and other nationalities. By 733, the city was built seven mosques. To make the Friday prayer (juma) further acting central mosque. Every year the mosque became more and more. By 1796, the city already counted fifteen mosques. But one of the main sources of the spread of Islam in Russia it was the Juma mosque, located in the central part of the city of Derbent.

Juma mosque - is an architectural ensemble, which consists of a mosque, madrasa and premises for imams. The mosque was built in 733-734, at the moment, she is the largest urban construction in the city.

Throughout its long history, Juma mosque rebuilt several times. Today, over its entrance, for example, you can see the inscription, which reads that in the 1368-1369 biennium. the mosque was restored after a major earthquake Tadzhutdin. The construction of madrassas in the Juma Mosque began only in 1474-1475 years. Expansion of madrassas and the formation of the whole complex ended only in 1815

In 1930, the mosque was closed. From 1938 to 1943 it was run by the NKVD and was used as a city prison. It was only the third year of the war, she was handed over to the religious city organization. In Soviet times, Derbent Juma Mosque was the largest in the North Caucasus, and was the only one in southern Dagestan.

Despite the change of eras, natural disasters, and all the test of time the mosque well preserved until today. Mosque included in the UNESCO World Heritage.