TEHRAN – After some six decades, scaffolding will be taken down from the face of the Jameh Mosque of Qazvin, which is one of the oldest Islamic structures in Iran.

Deputy tourism minister Ali Darabi has issued a directive for the removal while adhering to preservation and restoration guidelines, Mehr reported on Friday.

The official issued an order for the removal of these supports during his visit to the mosque and upon hearing explanations from the provincial tourism chief.

The scaffolding was installed by Italian restorers some 60 years ago to establish firm access to the monument. 

Narratives say that the mosque was originally built on the site of a Sassanid fire temple. It was subsequently developed and expanded over different periods.

According to experts, removing these scaffolds will not pose any problem to the structure, Darabi said.

“This mosque originally dates back to the 2nd century A.H. but reached its pinnacle during the Seljuk and Safavid eras.”

Moreover, the official reminded the attendees of minstrel plans to submit a dossier on historical mosques to UNESCO for possible registration on the World Heritage list.

“This dossier embraces 24 mosques from 15 provinces and it includes the Jameh Mosque of Qazvin," he stated.

Better known as the Masjid-e-Jameh Atiq, the mosque was originally built on the site of a Sassanid fire temple. It was subsequently developed and expanded over several different periods.

According to Archnet, the mosque’s construction was first ordered in 807 (192 AH) by the Abbasid Caliph Harun Al-Rashid. Under the Seljuk leaders (1038-1194), two iwans were added to its north. After a renovation in the eleventh century, the twelfth century saw the construction of the main prayer hall, a dome, a courtyard, and a religious school. Under the Safavids (1501-1732), the southern and western iwans and arcades were added, and the Qajar period (1779-1924) witnessed a major renovation and expansion.

The mosque follows the four-iwan typology; each iwan is centered on a large courtyard with a central fountain. This courtyard is one of the largest mosque courts in Iran, measuring nearly four thousand square meters. Its two main prayer halls are located along the north and south sides of the court. Two narrow arcade halls, five meters wide, run along the east and west.

The brick monument is clad with decorative tiles and inscriptions in some areas. The main prayer hall is the most ornamented part of the mosque. Both its mihrab and minbar are made of stone, and the upper part of the walls are ornamented with different floral patterns and small polychrome tiles.

In Islamic countries, the term Jameh mosque is referred to as a vast center for community worship and Friday prayer services.

AFM