The Imam Mosque of Semnan (; ), also known as the Imam Khomeini Mosque and the Soltani Mosque, is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

located in the city of Semnan, in the province of Semnan,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. Commenced in 1612 CE and completed in , during the

Qajar era The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

, the mosque is a magnificent example of architecture, stone carving, and tile work in Iran, with a majesty and splendour that places it among the world's greatest buildings. The mosque was added to the

Iran National Heritage List Iran National Heritage List is a register of nationally significant monuments, places, buildings, events, etc., officially registered under the National Heritage Preservation Act of 1930. According to Article 1 of this law, "All the industrial mon ...

on 20 June 1936, administered by the

Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran () is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. It is administered and funded by the Government of Iran. It was f ...

Architecture

Construction of the mosque commenced in 1612 CE during the reign of

Shah Abbas I Abbas I (; 27 January 1571 – 19 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the fifth Safavid shah of Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered one of the most important rulers ...

and is one of several mosques commissioned by the Shah in a similar style. The mosque is considered a magnificent example of architecture, stone carving, and tile work in Iran, with a majesty and splendour that places it among the world's greatest buildings. The mosque was designed on a four-

iwan An iwan (, , also as ''ivan'' or ''ivān''/''īvān'', , ) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...

courtyard style. The doors to the northern, southern and eastern sides have a vestibule (usually octagonal in shape) and corridors. The upper portion of the northern and eastern doors are arched and artistically worked in plaster and tile with beautiful

Muqarnas Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of I ...

. The ceilings of the vestibules, on the north, south, and eastern sides are constructed of bricks, and are domed shaped with numerous arches and designed with tiles. There are four porches on four sides along with an area for nocturnal prayers. Behind the western porch is an

inscription Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

revealing the final date of construction. The northern entrance has a Persian blue tile inscription under which a slab of marble with a poem inscribed in ''

Nastaliq ''Nastaliq'' (; ; ), also Romanization of Persian, romanized as ''Nastaʿlīq'' or ''Nastaleeq'' (), is one of the main book hand, calligraphic hands used to write Arabic script and is used for some Indo-Iranian languages, predominantly Persi ...

'' script. Beside the altar, the marble

Mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

has eleven steps and there are two unfinished

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s. On the top of western porch is a small dome adorned with blue tiles. There is also a tiled inscription from the Holy Qur'an, all around the western porch worked in white tiles on a blue tiled background. The ''

sahn A ''sahn'' (, '), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque. Most traditional mosques have a large central ''sahn'', which is surrounded by a ''Riwaq (arcade), riwaq'' or arcade (architecture), arcade on ...

'' contains a pool and flowerbeds. After the

Iranian revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, the mosque was repaired by the Cultural Heritage Organization.

Gallery

Shah (Imam)-Soltani Mosque. Semnan 17.jpg, Stunning interior of the prayer hall with

qibla The qibla () is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Great Mosque of Mecca, Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the salah. In Islam, the Kaaba is believed to ...

wall Shah (Imam)-Soltani Mosque. Semnan 1.jpg, Looking across the ''

'' to an

Shah (Imam)-Soltani Mosque. Semnan 5.jpg, Detailed tile design of an iwan wall ImamMosqueofSemnan.1.jpg, Exterior of the mosque with its unusual small dome on the western porch مسجد سلطانی 01.jpg, A view across the pool at night عباسعلی اختری در حال سخنرانی.jpg, Sheikh Abbas Ali Akhtari leading Friday prayers at the mosque in 1981, adjacent to an image of

Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...

Notes

References

External links

1612 establishments in Asia 20th-century mosques in Iran Mosques on the Iran National Heritage List Mosque buildings with domes in Iran Mosques completed in 1907 Mosques in Semnan province Qajar mosques Tourist attractions in Semnan province {{Iran-mosque-stub

Architecture

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links