The grandest mosques in Islamic cities were usually named Friday (congregational) mosques and they were under the aegis of the Moslem rulers. Located northeast of the historic Meidan-e Emam and next to Atique Square, is Masjed-e Jame of Isfahan, Iran’s oldest Friday mosque. Archeological findings indicate that the prayer niche and its domed chamber on the south side of the mosque were built on the site of an earlier Zoroastrian fire temple. Covering an area of more than 20,000 square meters, Masjed-e Jame of Isfahan is where the four-iwan courtyard-centered layout of Sassanid palaces was first applied to Islamic religious architecture. Its design served as a blueprint for later mosques in Central Asia.
Founded in the 8th century, the mosque showcases the development of architectural construction and decorative styles of different periods in Iranian Islamic architecture over 1200 years, mainly the Abbasid, Buyid, Seljuq, Ilkhanid, Muzzafarid, Timurid and Safavid eras. The biggest changes made to the interior and exterior of the mosque were during the Seljuq period.
Its double-shelled ribbed Nezam al-Molk dome, also known as South Dome, was an architectural and engineering innovation that influenced builders throughout the region. The mosque also features the Taj al-Molk Dome (also known as Gonbad-e Khaki or North Dome), shabestans (underground spaces), and Mozzafarid Madressah. The magnificent blend of surface decorations that include stucco work, brick work, tile work and combination of tile and brick work accompanied by various styles of writing and motifs have further established the mosque’s reputation as one of the most beautiful structures in Iran.
The grandest mosques in Islamic cities were usually named Friday (congregational) mosques and they were under the aegis of the Moslem rulers. Located northeast of the historic Meidan-e Emam and next to Atique Square, is Masjed-e Jame of Isfahan, Iran’s oldest Friday mosque. Archeological findings indicate that the prayer niche and its domed chamber on the south side of the mosque were built on the site of an earlier Zoroastrian fire temple. Covering an area of more than 20,000 square meters, Masjed-e Jame of Isfahan is where the four-iwan courtyard-centered layout of Sassanid palaces was first applied to Islamic religious architecture. Its design served as a blueprint for later mosques in Central Asia.
Founded in the 8th century, the mosque showcases the development of architectural construction and decorative styles of different periods in Iranian Islamic architecture over 1200 years, mainly the Abbasid, Buyid, Seljuq, Ilkhanid, Muzzafarid, Timurid and Safavid eras. The biggest changes made to the interior and exterior of the mosque were during the Seljuq period.
Its double-shelled ribbed Nezam al-Molk dome, also known as South Dome, was an architectural and engineering innovation that influenced builders throughout the region. The mosque also features the Taj al-Molk Dome (also known as Gonbad-e Khaki or North Dome), shabestans (underground spaces), and Mozzafarid Madressah. The magnificent blend of surface decorations that include stucco work, brick work, tile work and combination of tile and brick work accompanied by various styles of writing and motifs have further established the mosque’s reputation as one of the most beautiful structures in Iran.