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Shah Mosque (Mashhad)

Coordinates: 36°17′16″N 59°36′40″E / 36.2878905°N 59.6110778°E / 36.2878905; 59.6110778
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For similarly named mosques, see Shah Mosque.
Shah Mosque
(Haftado Dotan Mosque)
مسجد هفتاد و دو تن
The mosque in 2017
Religion
AffiliationShia (Twelver)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status
StatusActive
Location
LocationMashhad, Razavi Khorasan province
CountryIran
Shah Mosque (Mashhad) is located in Iran
Shah Mosque (Mashhad)
Location of the mosque in Iran
Geographic coordinates36°17′16″N 59°36′40″E / 36.2878905°N 59.6110778°E / 36.2878905; 59.6110778
Architecture
Architect(s)Ahmed ibn Shams al-Din Muhammad Tabrizi
TypeMosque architecture
Style
Completed
  • 1462 (as a mausoleum)
  • 1451 (as a mosque)
  • 1707 (renovation)
Specifications
Dome(s)One
Dome height (outer)17.4 m (57 ft)
Minaret(s)Two
Minaret height
  • 20 m (66 ft) (northern)
  • 15.4 m (51 ft) (southern)
MaterialsStone; bricks; mortar
Official nameShah Mosque
TypeBuilt
Designated9 July 1932
Part ofImam Reza Shrine
Reference no.186
Conservation organizationCultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran

The Shah Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الشاه (مشهد), romanized: Masjid-i Shah), also known, since the Iranian Revolution, as the Haftado Dotan Mosque (Persian: مسجد هفتاد و دو تن, lit. 'Mosque of Seventy-two Martyrs') is a Twelver Shi'ite mausoleum and mosque that forms part of the Imam Reza Shrine complex, located in Mashhad, in the province of Razavi Khorasan, Iran.[1][2]

The mosque dates from the Timurid period, and was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 9 July 1932, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.[1]

History

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Originally, at the site of the mosque, a mausoleum was built for the Timurid noble, Amir Ghiyath al-Din, known by his title "Malikshah".[3] Later on, it was expanded into a larger mosque, which was completed in 1451, and the mosque subsequently was known as the Shah Mosque. During the Safavid era, the mosque was renovated extensively by Soltan Hoseyn and a final renovation was completed during the rule of Nader Shah Afshar.[1][2]

The Shah Mosque was listed as a national heritage site of Iran in 1893.[dubious – discuss] The mosque was renamed to "Haftado Dotan Mosque" after the Iranian Revolution, the word "Haftado Dotan" being Persian for seventy-two martyrs.[4] This was done in memory of the important people killed during the revolution, which numbered up to 72, coinciding with the number of casualties of the Ahlulbayt side in the Battle of Karbala. In modern times,[when?] the front portico of the mosque was converted into an office building and was closed to the public.[1][2]

Architecture

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Closeup of a decorative tilework pattern inside the mosque

The mosque has a large, bulbous dome and two minarets which are not connected to it at all. The bulbous dome is decorated with turquoise tiles and the inscription, Allahus-Samad (which translates as "God is Eternal"), embedded repeatedly in the design. Currently,[when?] some of the designs on the dome are fading away. From the outside, the dome has a height of 17.4 metres (57 ft), that covers a smaller inner dome. Underneath this inner dome is a crypt containing a tomb which is attributed to Amir Ghiyath al-Din Malik Shah. The surfaces of the domed room are covered with dark-green tiles; both in the dado and above it, the rows of tiles are separated by some calligraphic inscriptions. There is no mihrab, however a small niche in a wall which is pointed in the qibla direction can be seen in a room next to this domed room and crypt. The southern minaret of the mosque is slightly ruined, and it is 15.4 metres (51 ft) high.[3][2][5]

[edit]
  • 1861 illustration by Alexandre de Bar in Le Tour du Monde, vol. IV.
    1861 illustration by Alexandre de Bar in Le Tour du Monde, vol. IV.
  • The mosque in 2011
    The mosque in 2011
  • Closeup of the mosque's main iwan
    Closeup of the mosque's main iwan
  • The tomb attributed to Amir Ghiyath al-Din Malik Shah in the mosque
    The tomb attributed to Amir Ghiyath al-Din Malik Shah in the mosque
  • The hammam which is located next to the mosque
    The hammam which is located next to the mosque

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d مسجد هفتاد و دو تن مشهد | پیشینه و معماری + عکس – گردشی تاپ (in Persian). October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Masjid-i Shah". www.archnet.org. n.d. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  3. ^ a b آرامگاه «امیر غیاث‌الدین شاه ملک» - ایسنا. www.isna.ir (in Persian). Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  4. ^ مسجد هفتاد و دو تن مشهد | آدرس + تاریخچه + اطلاعات بازدید. یومگ|مجله گردشگری یوتراوز (in Persian). May 10, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  5. ^ مسجد شاه مشهد مسجدی به نام هفتاد و دو تن. www.eghamat24.com (in Persian). March 29, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2023.

Further reading

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  • Burke, Andrew; Elliot, Mark; Mohammadi, Kamin (2004). Lonely Planet Iran. Hong Kong: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.
  • Byron, Robert (1982). The Road to Oxiana. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 121.
  • Golombek, Lisa; Wilber, Donald (1988). The Timurid Architecture of Iran and Turan. Vol. I. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 334–36.
  • Hillenbrand, Robert (2000). Islamic Architecture: Form, Function, and Meaning. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 111–2, 156–7.
  • Loveday, Helen (1993). Iran. Geneva: Editions Olizane SA. p. 133.
  • O'Kane, Bernard (1987). Timurid architecture in Khurasan. Costa Mesa, California: Mazdâ Publishers in association with Undena Publications. pp. 51, 67, 227–37.
  • Pope, Arthur Upham (1965). Persian Architecture: The Triumph of Form and Color. New York: George Braziller. pp. 203, 261.
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