TEHRAN – Blue Mosque, known as Masjed-e Kabud in Farsi, is one of the notable historic buildings scattered across the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz.

The mosque has long been distinguished for the grandeur of its intricate blue tilework and calligraphy for which it is nicknamed. The ornament took artists about a quarter century to cover every surface.  

Completed in c. 1465 it is remarkable for its simplicity, brickwork, and great size as well.  The mosque survived a devastating earthquake in 1727. However, many parts of it caved in due to a quake struck later in the same century. Many parts of the structure was rebuilt in 1973.

In the southern part of the mosque lies a time-honored mausoleum, itself a source of splendor.  It is entirely covered with massive marble slabs on which verses from the holy Quran have been engraved with a background of fine arabesques.

Mahmud Ghazan, who was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire’s Ilkhanate, made Tabriz his capital in the late 13th century.  

In 1392, the city was taken by a Turkic conqueror named Timur (Tamerlane) and some decades later the Kara Koyunlu Turkmen choses it as their capital. The Blue Mosque was built under their rule.

Tabriz retained its administrative status under the Safavid dynasty until 1548, when Shah Tahmasb I who enjoyed the longest reign of any member of the dynasty, moved his capital westward to Qazvin.

During the next two centuries Tabriz changed hands several times between Iran and the Ottoman Empire.

Here is a select of comments that visitors to the mosque have posted to TripAdvisor, one of the most popular travel websites in the world:

“Masterpiece of Iranian decorative tilework”

The blue mosque has been restored with great craftsmanship. Only small parts of the original decoration remain, but the quality of the work, the finesse of the designs and the range of colors used is exceptional. (Wim Antwerp from Belgium, visited September 2016)

“Beautiful with nice nearby park”

From the outside it looked first a bit disappointing but the interior is beautiful and worth the entrance price. The park next to the mosque is also a nice place. (Ellisveen from the Netherlands, visited April 2016)

“Very nice and old mosque”

Oldest mosque in Tabriz, very nice architecture and courtyard. Price for foreigners: 6x locals. (Ana L. from Sweden, visited March 2016)

“Impressive reconstruction”

This mosque was all but destroyed in an earthquake in 1779, but has been well reconstructed (and work continues). The original tile work is very impressive, in particular the shine of the glaze which the reproductions struggle to replicate. (PeterC489 from London, visited September 2015)

“Colorful Mosque”

Very nice building, with a very nice front facade, although not very well conserved! When I visited it we were the only persons there! (Rui Cardoso from Portugal, visited May 2015)

The picture above gives details of the intricate tilework that embellishes interior of the Blue Mosque in Tabriz. 

AFM/