Editing Tatarstan (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Islam in Tatarstan}}
{{Bar box
|title=Religion in Tatarstan as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas)<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas" /><ref name="2012Arena-religion-maps" />
|float=right
|bars=
{{Bar percent|[[Islam in Russia|Islam]]|Green|53.8}}
{{Bar percent|[[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]]|DarkOrchid|30.5}}
{{Bar percent|[[Atheism]] and [[irreligion]]|Black|5.7}}
{{Bar percent|Other [[Christianity in Russia|Christians]]|DeepSkyBlue|2}}
{{Bar percent|Other [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]|MediumOrchid|1}}
{{Bar percent|[[Rodnovery]] and other native faiths|Red|0.5}}
{{Bar percent|[[Spiritual but not religious]]|DarkSlateGray|1}}
{{Bar percent|Other and undeclared|Gray|2.5}}
}}
[[File:Кремль18.jpg|thumb|[[Qolşärif Mosque]] in Kazan]]
{{As of|2012|post=,}} [[Islam]] was the most common faith in Tatarstan, adhered to by 53.8% of the estimated 3.8 million population. Most of the remaining population is either [[Russian Orthodox Christian]] or non-religious.<ref name="a2O3P" /><ref name="2012ArenaAtlas">{{Cite web|title=Main page project "Arena" : Non-profit research based consulting "Sreda"|url=https://sreda.org/en/arena|access-date=2022-12-31|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="2012Arena-religion-maps">[http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps]. "Ogonek", No. 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170421154615/http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg Archived].</ref>

Established in 922, the first Muslim state within the boundaries of modern Russia was [[Volga Bulgaria]] from which the [[Volga Tatars|Tatars]] inherited [[Islam]]. Islam was introduced by missionaries<ref name="emLPD" /> from [[Baghdad]] around the time of [[Ibn Fadlan]]'s journey in 922. Islam's long presence in Russia also extends at least as far back as [[Russo-Kazan Wars|the conquest of the Khanate of Kazan]] in 1552, which brought the [[Volga Tatars|Tatars]] and [[Bashkirs]] on the Middle [[Volga]] into Russia.
[[File:Сергиевская церковь 1604 г. Иоанно-Предтеченский монастырь. Остров-град Свияжск. РТ. Июнь 2013 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Sergius Church, at the island-city Sviyazhsk]]
In the 1430s, the region became independent as the base of the [[Khanate of Kazan]], a capital having been established in [[Kazan]], 170&nbsp;km up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars. The Khanate of Kazan [[Russo-Kazan Wars|was conquered]] by the troops of Tsar [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan IV the Terrible]] in the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. Some Tatars were forcibly converted to Christianity and cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593, mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century by [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine II]].

In 1990, there were only 100 mosques, but by 2004 this number had risen to well over 1,000. {{As of|2008|1|1|post=,}} as many as 1,398 religious organizations were registered in Tatarstan, of which 1,055 were [[Muslim]]. In September 2010, [[Eid al-Fitr]] as well as 21&nbsp;May, the day the [[Volga Bulgars]] embraced Islam, were made public holidays.<ref name="xbyoj" />

The [[Russian Orthodox Church]] is the second largest active religion in Tatarstan, and has been so for more than 150 years,<ref name="htTUf" /> with an estimated 1.6 million followers made up of [[ethnic Russians]], [[Mordvins]], [[Armenians]], [[Belarusians]], [[Mari people]], [[Georgians]], [[Chuvash people|Chuvash]] and a number of Orthodox [[Tatars]] which together constitute 38% of the 3.8 million population of Tatarstan. On 23&nbsp;August 2010, the "Orthodox monuments of Tatarstan" exhibition was held in Kazan by the Tatarstan Ministry of Culture and the Kazan Eparchy.<ref name="TuLKj" /> At all public events, an [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] Priest is called upon along with an Islamic [[Mufti]].<ref name="1Dz9w" />

The Muslim Religious Board of Tatarstan frequently organizes activities, like the '[[Islamic graffiti]] Contest' which was held on 20&nbsp;November 2011.<ref name="1JKy9" />