Jameh Mosque of Ardestan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The Congregational Mosque of Ardestan is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved Iranian mosques. Vestiges of four historical epochs are discernible there.
The earliest belong to a Sassanid fire temple, remodeled to meet the needs of a Muslim religious building. This primeval mosque, which consisted of a single domed sanctuary, was built in the 10th century.
The Jameh Mosque of Ardestan, in central Iran, is of high historical importance as it incorporates successive architectural styles of the Sassanids, Buyids, Seljuks and Safavids.
However, a majority of what visitors to the mosque see dates form the Seljuk era (ca. 1040–1196).
Located in a city of the same name in Isfahan Province, the two-story hypostyle mosque has a four- portico (iwan) courtyard surrounded by encircling arcades.
The mosque is part of a larger premise that also includes other mud brick structures such as a cistern, a caravanserai, a marketplace, a bathhouse, and a madrasa (religious school).
According to Isfahan Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, the mosque was inscribed on the national heritage list in 1931.
Source: Tehran Times
