Amir Chakhmaq Complex
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Amir Chakhmaq Complex (; also Romanized ''Chakhmaq'', ''Chakmaq'', ''Chakhmagh'', ''Chakmak'') is a prominent structure in
Yazd Yazd ( fa, یزد ), formerly also known as Yezd, is the capital of Yazd Province, Iran. The city is located southeast of Isfahan. At the 2016 census, the population was 1,138,533. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a Worl ...
,
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 ...
, noted for its symmetrical sunken alcoves. It is a mosque located on a square of the same name. It also contains a
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
, a
tekyeh A takyeh ( fa, تکیه ''takye''; plural: ''takâyâ'') is a building where Shia Muslims gather to mourn Husayn's death in the month of Muharram. Such buildings are particularly found in Iran, where there are takyehs in almost every city. Teh ...
, a bathhouse, a cold water well, and a confectionery. At night, the building is lit up after twilight hours after sun set with orange lighting in the arched alcoves which makes it a spectacle. During the
Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...
and the Iraq wars with the United States and Afghanistan, many Iraqis and Afghanis came to inhabit the Amir Chakhmaq Square.


Geography

The complex is located on a square of the same name, named after Amir Jalaleddin Chakhmaq, a governor of Yazd during the
Timurid dynasty The Timurid dynasty ( chg, , fa, ), self-designated as Gurkani ( chg, , translit=Küregen, fa, , translit=Gūrkāniyān), was a Sunni Muslim dynasty or clan of Turco-Mongol originB.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in Encyclopaedia of Islam, O ...
(15th–16th century CE). Separate living areas for Iraqis and Afghanis are nearby. The complex is situated opposite what was the Yazd Water Museum.


The mosque

The Amir Chakhmaq mosque ( fa, مسجد امیرچخماق), also known as Dahouk mosque ( fa, مسجد دهوک), is a historical
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 complex from the
Timurid Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of C ...
era in
Yazd Yazd ( fa, یزد ), formerly also known as Yezd, is the capital of Yazd Province, Iran. The city is located southeast of Isfahan. At the 2016 census, the population was 1,138,533. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a Worl ...
, in
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 ...
. It was built on orders of Jalal ed-Din Amir Chakhmaq Shami, who was the governor of Yazd and a general of
Shahrukh Mirza Shah Rukh or Shahrukh ( fa, شاهرخ, ''Šāhrokh'') (20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447. He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynast ...
. The mosque was completed in 1438. From the viewpoint of aesthetics, dimension and importance, it is one of the most outstanding buildings in Yazd. There are inscriptions made of
mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
in
Thuluth ''Thuluth'' ( ar, ثُلُث, ' or ar, خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, '; fa, ثلث, ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is a script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new s ...
script of Mohammad al-Hakim on the eastern entrance. During the era of
Fath Ali Shah 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 ...
, Hossein Attar added a part to its
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 ...
and restored some parts of the mosque.


Architecture and fittings

The prominent structure has a three-storey elaborate façade of symmetrical sunken arched alcoves. It is one of the largest
hussainia A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of ...
in Iran. In the centre are two very tall minarets. The spiral staircase in one of the two minarets is said to create a feeling of
claustrophobia Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with ...
, while it provides views of Yazd. At night, the building is lit up with orange lighting in the alcoves which makes it a spectacle. The complex also contains a
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
, a
tekyeh A takyeh ( fa, تکیه ''takye''; plural: ''takâyâ'') is a building where Shia Muslims gather to mourn Husayn's death in the month of Muharram. Such buildings are particularly found in Iran, where there are takyehs in almost every city. Teh ...
, a bathhouse, a cold water well, and a confectionery. The bathhouse, in the front of the building is around 600 years old. Arcades have been added recently on the flanks to provide safety from traffic. Only the first floor above the ground level is accessible. The complex includes the three-storey ''
tekyeh A takyeh ( fa, تکیه ''takye''; plural: ''takâyâ'') is a building where Shia Muslims gather to mourn Husayn's death in the month of Muharram. Such buildings are particularly found in Iran, where there are takyehs in almost every city. Teh ...
'' which used to commemorate the death of
Hussein ibn Ali Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi ...
. In the corner of the tekyeh, there is a ''nakhl'', described as a "strong, wooden object with very large metal fixtures and studs". It was venerated during 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 ...
commemoration festival of
Ashura Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Among Shia Muslims, Ashura is observed through large demonstrations of high-scale mourning as it marks the ...
.


History

Amir-Chaghmaq Square, according to Dr. Vahdat Zad, an architectural historian who has worked extensively on the spatial aspects of the square, was built in the 15th century by
Jalal-al-Din Amir-Chakhmaq Jalal-al-Din Amir-Chakhmaq, known as Jalal, was the Governor of Yazd, 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 ...
, the governor of Yazd in the Timurid era. This square was established on the north side of an important mosque called the Old Mosque, known today as Amir Chakhmaq mosque. According to Vahdat Zad, "the mosque was also founded by Amir-Chakhmaq between 1418 and 1438. The same year the mosque was inaugurated, Haj Qanbar Jahanshahi, who was the subsequent governor, constructed a bazaar and caravanserai at the sides of the square". Many parts of the complex deteriorated until the 18th century in the Safavid era, when Bahador Khan Shams Yousef Meibodi renovated some parts and reconstructed the caravanserai in the same location. The complex again encountered erosion until the late 19th century when, according to Vahdat Zad, the Tekyeh was built by Abu-al-Qasim Rashti at the entrance of the bazaar. Most of the changes in Amir-Chakhmagh Square were implemented during the modernization period of
Reza Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
. By completing Pahlavi Street in 1935, the northern part of the square, which connected it with the Bazaar, was demolished. It seems the caravanserai was demolished at the same time in order to develop the square in a more orderly rectangular shape. Notably, the demolition of the square, as Vahdat Zad argues, "had nothing to do with the establishment of Soraya Street in 1943. It more likely occurred when Shah Street and Soraya Street were connected in the late 1950s. Nothing remained of the square then, except the Tekyeh. The municipality even tried to demolish the Tekyeh when one of the soffehs collapsed, but the archaeology office resisted strongly. Instead, they filled the two arcades at both sides in 1963 to prevent further drag".


Gallery

Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 Iran - Yazd - Amir Chakhmaq-3.jpg, Amir chakhmagh Yazd.jpg, Amir Chakhmaq Complex at night Complejo Amir Chakmaq, Yazd, Irán, 2016-09-21, DD 04.jpg, Nakhl Gardani Amir Chakhmaq Complex 5.jpg,
Nakhl Gardani Nakhl Gardani ( fa, نخل گردانی, ) or Nakhl Bardari is a Shia religious ritual carried out on the day of Ashura for commemorating the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Moḥammad and third Shia Imam. ''Nakhl'' is a wood ...
in Amir Chakhmaq Complex, Yazd, 2017. Nakhl Gardani Amir Chakhmaq Complex 1.jpg,
Nakhl Gardani Nakhl Gardani ( fa, نخل گردانی, ) or Nakhl Bardari is a Shia religious ritual carried out on the day of Ashura for commemorating the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Moḥammad and third Shia Imam. ''Nakhl'' is a wood ...
in Amir Chakhmaq Complex, Yazd, 2017.


See also

*
History of Persian domes Persian domes or Iranian domes have an ancient origin and a history extending to the modern era. The use of domes in ancient Mesopotamia was carried forward through a succession of empires in the Greater Iran region. An ancient tradition of roy ...
*
Yazd Yazd ( fa, یزد ), formerly also known as Yezd, is the capital of Yazd Province, Iran. The city is located southeast of Isfahan. At the 2016 census, the population was 1,138,533. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a Worl ...


References

;Bibliography * * * * * * {{coord, 31, 53, 36, N, 54, 22, 11, E, region:IR_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Yazd Caravanserais in Iran Mosques in Iran National works of Iran