Jameh Mosque of Yazd
The Jāmeh Mosque of Yazd is a Friday mosque located in the city of Yazd, in the province of Yazd, Iran. Built on the site of a 9th-century CE fire temple, the mosque was completed during the 14th and 15th century CE and renovated in subsequent years. Between 1982 and 2005 the mosque was depicted on the obverse of the Iranian 200 rial banknote. The mosque has served as the spiritual center of Yazd for centuries, and is renowned for its complete display of architectural motifs from Medieval Persian dynasties as well as Zoroastrian and Muslim coexistence in the city of Yazd.
The mosque was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 22 July 1934, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran. The mosque, along with other monuments in Yazd, was inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2017.
History
Prior to the construction of the 14th century mosque, the site had hosted a religious temple for millenia. According to historians, this first religious building, a Sasanian era Zoroastrian fire temple, was constructed around the 5th century CE. In the medieval Buyud Dynasty, Shah Ala'oddoleh Garshasb commenced building the mosque. The second mosque was constructed by order of Ala'oddoleh Kalanjar in the 12th century CE, and was largely destroyed in the 13th century Mongol conquests. The main construction of the present building was done by order of the Mongol Il-khanid dynasty, under Shah Rukn al-Din Muhammad during the 14th century CE. The main mosque was substantially completed in 1457.Since its substantial completion, the Jameh Mosque of Yazd has been modified by several successive Persian dynasties, most notably the Safavids who added large minarets to the sides of the mosques. Subsequent dynasties have renovated the mosque by adding additional tiling and decorations in Kufic and Thuluth scripts.
Architecture
The mosque exemplifies Persian architecture, specifically the Azari style, which thrived from the late 13th century to the start of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century. Azari-style mosque elements include grand iwans, as seen in the Muzzafarid-construced southeastern iwan entrance, and the domed vestibules, like the one built during Il-khanid rule.During the 15th century, Yazd saw large population growth and hence many new mosques were built. The Jameh Mosque of Iran served as a blueprint for many mosques. The mosque is well known for its pishtaq, or entrance elements and its accompanying minarets. The Jameh Mosque of Yazd also features numerous elements of Zoroastrian architectural styles, including the iwan design and vaulted roof design, present in Zoroastrian fire temples.
Il-khanid rebuilding (1324-1334)
The complex of the mosque was initially founded in the 12th century, but nothing remains, and it was possibly destroyed by the Mongols. The "new mosque" which is visible today was built by the Il Khanids in 1324-28, during the reign of Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan, including the entrance portal, the main iwan and the dome. The tall southeastern entrance iwan in particular is characteristic of Ilkhanid architecture. The mosque was further expanded in 1365 under the Muzaffarids. A second phase after 1334 included the completion of the iwan and possibly some revetments. The southeastern portal iwan is decorated with the 99 different names of Allah, written in Kufic script. The iwan is adjacent to a domed vestibule, which is designed in an octagonal layout. Uncommon for Persian mosques, the domed vestibule was made entirely of terracotta in black, white, and blue, which formed ornate geometrical patterns. Few of the Kufic scripts from this period survive, and the Il-khanid style designs are located primarily in the domed vestibule.Muzzafarid contribution (1364-1376)
Within is a long arcaded courtyard where, behind a deep-set south-east iwan, is the sanctuary chamber. The constructions of the second period include the south prayer hall, vestibule and galleries, the tile-mosaic mihrab, and some of the revetments of the dome chamber. The chamber, under a squat tiled dome, is exquisitely decorated with tile mosaic: its tall tiled mihrab, dated 1365 CE to the Muzaffarids, is one of the finest of its kind in existence. The name of the craftsman and the date of construction of the mihrab are depicted on two star-shaped sgraffito tiles. The dome itself, with a design of geometric arabesque of blue and black tile mosaics on a beige background, was completed in 1375. One of the amazing attributes of the Jameh Mosque of Yazd is that the lighting system is obtained indirectly by the reflection of light from the white plaster of the dome and the walls. Much of the dome is made of faience, a style of earthenware tiling where mosaic fragments are stuck together.The mo'araq tile-mosaic mihrab is also dated to 1375-76. It has the particularity of using large-sized tile fragments, whether Timurid tile-mosaics tended to use smaller fragments. The Mihrab itself was entirely made of marble, and much of the marble was sourced from Karbala, Iraq. The top of the mihrab contains a celestial pattern, which also serves as a guide to the mihrab’s color, in case renovation was needed. The mihrab also features a variety of characteristic Mazzafarid-era floral motifs. Unique for Persian mosques, the mihrab has separate entrances for men and women. Smaller, Timurid-style minarets were also built at the same time as the mihrab, in 1375, and were later completely replaced under the Safavid empire.