TEHRAN – A new round of restoration work is scheduled to commence on Chehel Sotoun Mosque, which is a hypostyle Islamic monument in Zanjan, west-central Iran.

“The remaining parts of this historic mosque, which has not been restored to date, will undergo restoration during an upcoming project,” Zanjan’s tourism chief said on Monday.

Replacing worn-out brick with the same traditional ones and filling the gaps between the bricks are amongst works to be carried out in the coming project, Amir Arjmand added.

Previous projects concerned mosque’s columns, walls, ceiling insulation, arches, and gutters as well as replacing worn-out materials and lightening roofs, the official added.

The Qajar-era (1789–1925) mosque is located in the historic bazaar of Zanjan. It is the second most prestigious seminary school in Zanjan after Jameh Mosque.

The main prayer hall of the mosque is built in Chehel Sotoun (forty columns) style, which is mostly compared to the 17th-century Chehel Sotoun palace in Isfahan.

Zanjan is one of the cities founded by Sassanid King Ardashir I (180-242 CE). It is also a gateway to wider explorations such as the ones to the UNESCO-tagged Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor caves, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleiman, amongst others.

AFM