TEHRAN–A tour of the historical mosques in the city of Rey, southeast of Tehran, is planned to be held on August 22, Rey’s tourism chief has said.

On the occasion of World Mosque Day, four historical mosques across the ancient city of Rey will be toured, Noruz Taqipur explained on Sunday.

The tour aims to introduce and promote the mosques as a tourist destination, the official added.

Mosque, according to Islamic tradition, is any house or open area of prayer in Islam. The Arabic word masjid means “a place of prostration” to God, and the same word is used in Persian, Urdu, and Turkish. The first mosques were modeled on the place of worship of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); the courtyard of his house at Medina.

Iran is home to countless mosques and holy shrines in the country, many of which represent a combination of symmetry, geometric designs and vibrant colors, creating an astonishing view that no visitor can forget easily. The architecture of the mosques in the country varies from one region to another. However, they often boast very complex structures in which color variations, tiles and symbolic designs are utilized.

Rey was one of the capital cities of the Parthian empire (3rd century BC–3rd century CE) and it was captured by the Muslim Arabs in 641 CE. During the reign of the Muslim caliph al-Mahdi in the 8th century, the city grew in importance until it was rivaled in western Asia only by Damascus and Baghdad.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Islamic writers described it as a city of extraordinary beauty, built largely of fired brick and brilliantly ornamented with blue faience (glazed earthenware). It continued to be an important city and was briefly a capital under the rule of the Seljuqs, but in the 12th century, it was weakened by the fierce quarrels of rival religious sects. In 1220, the city was almost entirely destroyed by the Mongols, and its inhabitants were massacred. Most of the survivors of the massacre moved to nearby Tehran, and the deserted remnants of Rey soon fell into complete ruin.

ABU/AM