TEHRAN – A restoration project has been commenced on parts of Chehel Sotoun Mosque in Zanjan, west-central Iran, CHTN reported on Friday. 

The mosque’s columns, walls, ceiling’s insulation, arches and gutters need some rehabilitation works, which will be done by the end of July, Zanjan province’s tourism chief Amir Arjmand said.

The restoration project aims to repair and strengthen the mosque with the utmost sensitivity, using the most suitable combinations of materials and traditional executive methods, he 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). The province makes a base for wider explorations with the architectural wonder of Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor caves, colorful mountains, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleiman ruins are nearby.

ABU/MG