4/5 Mohiddin sab Jalauddin Hasan M. 4 years ago on Google • 80 reviews
Masjid-e-Jāmeh
Isfahān
(مسجد
جامع
اصفهان),
also
known
as
the
Friday
Mosque
(مسجد
جمعه)
or
the
Masjid
Jameh
Atiq
(مسجد
جامع
عتیق),
is
the
grand,
congregational
mosque
(Jāmeh)
of
Isfahān
city,
within
Isfahān
Province,
Iran.
The
mosque
is
the
result
of
continual
construction,
reconstruction,
additions
and
renovations
on
the
site
from
around
771
to
the
end
of
the
20th
century.
This
is
one
of
the
oldest
mosques
still
standing
in
Iran,
and
it
was
built
in
the
four-iwan
architectural
style,
placing
four
gates
face
to
face.
The
mosque’s
core
structure
dates
primarily
from
the
11th
century
when
the
Seljuk
Turks
established
Isfahan
as
their
capital.
Ablution
fountain
can
be
seen
in
the
foreground.
Under
the
reign
of
Malik
Shah
I
(ruled
1072-1092)
and
his
immediate
successors,
the
mosque
grew
to
its
current
four-iwan
design.
The
mosque
has
been
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site
since
2012.
Built
during
the
Umayyad
dynasty,
it
is
rumored
in
Isfahan
that
one
of
the
pillars
of
this
Mosque
were
personally
built
by
the
Caliph
in
Damascus.
Prior
to
it
becoming
a
Mosque,
it
is
said
to
have
been
a
house
of
worship
for
Zoroastrians.
Responding
to
functional
needs
of
the
space,
political
ambition,
religious
developments,
and
changes
in
taste,
over
the
centuries
additions
and
modifications
took
place
incorporating
elements
from
the
Mongols,
Muzzafarids,
Timurids
and
Safavids.
Of
the
most
note
is
the
elaborately
carved
stucco
mihrab
commissioned
in
1310
by
Mongol
ruler
Oljaytu,
located
in
a
side
prayer
hall
built
within
the
western
arcade.
This
part
of
a
building
is
named
Oljaytu
Mosque.
The
exquisite
stucco
mihrab
is
adorned
with
dense
Quranic
inscriptions
and
floral
designs.
This
domed
interior
was
reserved
for
the
use
of
the
ruler
and
gives
access
to
the
main
mihrab
of
the
mosque.
The
cupolas
and
piers
that
form
the
hypostyle
area
between
the
iwans
are
undated
and
varied
in
style,
endlessly
modified
with
repairs,
reconstructions
and
additions.
Dome
soffits
(undersides)
are
crafted
in
varied
geometric
designs
(inspect)
and
often
include
an
oculus,
a
circular
opening
to
the
sky.
Vaults,
sometimes
ribbed,
offer
lighting
and
ventilation
to
an
otherwise
dark
space.
The
qibla
iwan
on
the
southern
side
of
the
mosque
was
vaulted
with
muqarnas
during
the
13th
century.
The
qibla
iwan
is
the
only
one
flanked
by
two
cylindrical
minarets.
Iwans
were
also
added
in
stages
under
the
Seljuqs,
giving
the
mosque
its
current
four-iwan
form,
a
type
which
subsequently
became
prevalent
in
Iran
and
the
rest
of
the
Islamic
world.
Safavid
intervention
was
largely
decorative,
with
the
addition
of
muqarnas,
glazed
tilework,
and
minarets
flanking
the
south
Qibla
iwan.
Linking
the
four
iwans
at
the
center
is
a
large
courtyard
open
to
the
air,
which
provides
a
tranquil
space
from
the
hustle
and
bustle
of
the
city.
Brick
piers
and
columns
support
the
roofing
system
and
allow
prayer
halls
to
extend
away
from
this
central
courtyard
on
each
side.
The
roof
of
the
mosque
is
a
panoply
of
unusual
but
charming
domes
crowning
its
hypostyle
interior.
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