Jameh Mosque of Qazvin ( fa, مسجد جامع عتيق قزوین – ''Masjid-e-Jameh Atiq Qazvin'') is one of the oldest mosques 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 ...

, and is the grand,

congregational mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

(jameh mosque) of

Qazvin Qazvin (; fa, قزوین, , also Romanized as ''Qazvīn'', ''Qazwin'', ''Kazvin'', ''Kasvin'', ''Caspin'', ''Casbin'', ''Casbeen'', or ''Ghazvin'') is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. Qazvin was a capital of the ...

, in Qazvin Province,

Specifications

The oldest part of the mosque is said to have been constructed by the orders of

Harun al-Rashid Abu Ja'far Harun ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi ( ar , أبو جعفر هارون ابن محمد المهدي) or Harun ibn al-Mahdi (; or 766 – 24 March 809), famously known as Harun al-Rashid ( ar, هَارُون الرَشِيد, translit=Hārūn ...

in 807CE. Later additions were made, the last being during the late

Safavid era The Safavid dynasty (; fa, دودمان صفوی, Dudmâne Safavi, ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of th ...

. The double layered main dome of the mosque is from the Seljuk era, and is locked to the public. It houses some precious examples of relief calligraphy from medieval times. Renovations have also been carried out on many sections of the mosque. The foundation of the mosque is laid on a

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic on ...

fire temple A fire temple, Agiary, Atashkadeh ( fa, آتشکده), Atashgah () or Dar-e Mehr () is the place of worship for the followers of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran (Persia). In the Zoroastrian religion, fire (see ''atar''), together wi ...

. In spite of the devastating

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

invasion, the mosque still stands today in its full glory. It is still in use. Parts of the mosque have been turned into a public library. The mosque also contains a

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

Ab anbar An ''ab anbar'' ( fa, آب‌انبار, literally " Cistern") is a traditional reservoir or cistern of drinking water in Greater Iran in antiquity. Structure To withstand the pressure the water exerts on the containers of the storage tan ...

, both now under the protection of

Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization ( fa, وزارت میراث فرهنگی، گردشگری و صنایع دستی ایران, ''Vâzart-e Miras-e Ferhengi-ye, Gârdâshigâri-ye vâ Sânai'-ye Dâsti-ye Iran'') is ...

. Part of the complex caught fire on 28 January 2013. Half of the complex was burnt and destroyed by the fire.

Gallery

File:Qazvin Jame Maquette.jpg File:Qazvin Jameh Mosque Mosaic.jpg File:Women Iʿtikāf at Jameh Mosque of Qazvin - Rajab 1439 AH 12.jpg File:Qazvin-Jaameh-03.jpg File:Jame Mosque of Qazvin مسجد جامع قزوین 06.jpg File:Jame qazvin4.JPG File:مسجد جامع قزوین.jpg

Specifications

Gallery

See also