The Shah Mosque ( fa, مسجد شاه), also known as the Soltāni Mosque () meaning "royal", renamed the Imam Mosque (), after the 1979
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...
, is a principal
[Iran and the Ikhwan: Assassinations, Pamphlets and Meetings](_blank)
, ''ASHARQ AL-AWSAT'' mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in the northern section of the
Grand Bazaar in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
Structure
The Mosque was built to the order of
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, فتحعلىشاه قاجار, Fatḥ-ʻAli Šâh Qâjâr; May 1769 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irr ...
of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
[مسجدامام خمینی / Imam Khomeini Mosque](_blank)
Municipality of Tehran (in Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken a ...
) during the
Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
period, as one of several such symbols of legitimacy for the new dynasty. At the time of completion, the mosque was considered to be the most significant architectural monument in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
.
During the reign of
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدینشاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Mal ...
, the two current minarets were added to the structure. The mosque is topped by a small gilt
dome. The mosque also has two
Shabestan
A shabestan or shabistan ( fa, ; Old Persian ''xšapā.stāna'') is an underground space that can be usually found in traditional architecture of mosques, houses, and schools in ancient Iran.
These spaces were usually used during summers and coul ...
.
The courtyard is accessed from several parts of the Grand Bazaar, the commercial heart of the capital. There are some significant architectural similarities between the Shah Mosque, the
Vakil Mosque
The Vakil Mosque ( fa, مسجد وکیل - ''Masjed-e Vakil'') is a mosque in Shiraz, southern Iran, situated to the west of the Vakil Bazaar next to its entrance. This mosque was built between 1751 and 1773, during the Zand period; however, it ...
in
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...
, and the
Royal Mosque in
Borujerd
Borujerd ( fa, بروجرد ''Borūjerd'') is a city and the capital of Borujerd County, Lorestan Province in western Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 234,997 persons. Among the existing modern cities in Iran, Borujerd is one of the ...
.
The Shah Mosque is located in Tehran, Iran. It is recognized to be one of the most gorgeous creations of the Persian empire in the Islamic era. The construction of the mosque began from 1611 and was successfully completed in 1629. Built during the Qajar era under the ruler Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the Shah Mosque serves as a symbol of excellence in the Islamic era. The architectural mastermind behind it all is Ali-Akhbar Isfahani. His innovative way of thinking led him to having an inscription of his name in the mosque above the doorway. The Shah Mosque is intricately detailed with 18 million bricks and 475,000 tiles. They incorporated the seven color style of tile mosaic to amplify the beauty of the exterior.
The breathtakingly beautiful Shah Mosque is a popular tourist attraction. Millions of visitors will come to Tehran to witness the beauty of the mosque in person. It's vibrant interior will take anyone's breathe away. The geographical and historical elements behind this structure do` not coincide with the axis of Mecca. The intention was to create the mosque to be visible from any angle in the Naqsh-e-Jahan square. Therefore, it stands as the center of attention. In such a prosperous city of Tehran, the area thrives with an abundance of culture and rich history.
Notable events
On December 11, 1905, the
vāli of Tehran ordered the public
flogging
Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on ...
of 17 prominent merchants of the Bazaar in the main courtyard of the Shah Mosque, blaming them for the increase in the price of sugar. The
public humiliation
Public humiliation or public shaming is a form of punishment whose main feature is dishonoring or disgracing a person, usually an offender or a prisoner, especially in a public place. It was regularly used as a form of judicially sanctioned puni ...
of the merchants was condemned by the
Bazaaris and in protest, the
Grand Bazaar shut its doors. A public backlash against the government in a series of related incidents ignited the
Persian Constitutional Revolution.
On March 7, 1951,
Haj Ali Razmara
Ali Razmara, also known as Haj Ali Razmara ( fa, حاجیعلی رزمآرا, Ḥājī`alī Razmārā; 30 March 1901 – 7 March 1951), was a military leader and prime minister of Iran.
He was assassinated by 26-year-old Khalil Tahmasse ...
, anti-communist
Prime Minister of Iran, was attending the memorial service for
Ayatollah
Ayatollah ( ; fa, آیتالله, āyatollāh) is an honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy in Iran and Iraq that came into widespread usage in the 20th century.
Etymology
The title is originally derived from Arabic word p ...
Feyz at the Shah Mosque.
On his way to the mosque, he was shot dead in the mosque's grand courtyard
by
Khalil Tahmasebi
Khalil Tahmasebi (14 February 1924 – 1955) was a carpenter and member of the Iranian fundamentalist group Fadayan-e Islam ("Self-Sacrificers of Islam"), which has been described as "the first Shiite Islamist organization to employ terrorism as ...
, who was described as a "
religious fanatic" by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. According to the
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
,
Tahmasebi was a member of the
Shiite
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
activist group "
Fedaʾeyān-e Eslām (Persian: 'Self-Sacrificers of Islam'), an extremist religious organization with close ties to the
traditional merchant class and the clergy."
In 1952, Tahmasebi was freed and pardoned by the Iranian Parliament during the premiership of
Mosaddegh
Mohammad Mosaddegh ( fa, محمد مصدق, ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 35th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, after appointment by the 16th Majlis. He was a member of ...
, and he was declared a Soldier of Islam. Following the
1953 Iranian coup d'état
The 1953 Iranian coup d'état, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup d'état ( fa, کودتای ۲۸ مرداد), was the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of ...
, Tahmasebi was re-arrested and tried; he was executed in 1955.
Gallery
File:Mezquita Shah, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-17, DD 49-51 HDR.jpg, Dome interior
File:Mezquita Shah, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-17, DD 52.jpg, Courtyard
File:Shah mosque tehran.jpg
File:Shah mosque of isfahan.jpg, Minaret
References
External links
{{Mosques in Iran
Mosques in Tehran
National works of Iran
19th-century establishments in Iran
Buildings of the Qajar period