 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Goharshad Mosque" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Goharshad Mosque | |
|---|---|
مسجد گوهرشاد | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Friday mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Mashhad,Razavi Khorasan Province |
| Country | Iran |
  Location of the mosque inIran | |
| Administration | Astan Quds Razavi |
| Coordinates | 36°17′15″N59°36′53″E / 36.28750°N 59.61472°E /36.28750; 59.61472 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Ghavameddin Shirazi |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Style | Timurid |
| Founder | Empress Goharshad |
| Groundbreaking | 1418CE |
| Completed | c. 1430 CE |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | One |
| Dome height (outer) | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Dome dia. (outer) | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Minaret | Two |
| Minaret height | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Site area | 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) |
| Materials | Bricks; plaster; concrete; ceramic tiles; mosaics; marble |
TheGoharshad Mosque (Persian:مسجد گوهرشاد,romanized: Masjid-i Gawhar Shad;Arabic:مسجد كوهرشاد)[a] is a grandFriday mosque (jāmeh) that is part of theImam Reza Shrine complex, located inMashhad, in the province ofRazavi Khorasan,Iran. Construction of the mosque commenced in 1418CE, during theTimurid era, and was completed inc. 1430 CE. AnotherGawhar Shad Mosque, built at the same time, is located inHerat.
It was built by the order of EmpressGoharshad, the wife ofShah Rukh of theTimurid dynasty, and work commenced in 1418 CE, as part of her extensive renovation program for the shrine of Imam Riza.
The double-layered dome of the mosque was severely damaged in 1911 in bombings by troops of theRussian Empire. In the 1960s, the dome of Goharshad mosque was deemed to be in severe structural danger, damages caused by various earthquakes over time, the 1911 Russian bombings, and the attack on the mosque byReza Shah during the1935 rebellion required the dome to be rebuilt. By the order ofMohammad Reza Shah, the tiles from the ancient dome were removed in the 1960s and the external shell was dismantled. A new external shell was built and the dome was re-tiled. While such repairs were necessary, they permanently altered the historic identity of the mosque.
Located to the south of the mausoleum, accessed through the dar al-siyadah, the mosque is of the familiar four-iwan courtyard form. The depths of the iwans are irregular, a response to the location of existing buildings within which it was inserted. Covering an area of approximately 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft), the mosque consists of a large azure dome, two 43-metre-high (141 ft)minarets, four verandas, asahn with seven big bed-chambers, and a large altar made of a stony dado and mosaicfaience shell.[1] The two round minarets rise from the ground and flank the southern iwan, and was an innovation inPersian architecture as minarets in Iran were previously positioned above theparapet. A blue faience dome was rebuilt with poured concrete in the 1960's, above the southern iwan.[2] The convex part of the dome’s shell is decorated with an inscription in theKufic script.[1]
The complete surface of the minarets, walls, and the surrounding colonnades are decorated with fine mosaic and glazed tiles produced in a variety of colors including ultramarine, turquoise, white, clear green, yellow, light yellow, and ebony.[1] The mosque is known for its tile mosaic decoration, an art form that peaked during the Timurid period. On a high base of marble revetment, panels of enamel brick and tilework are arranged in two stories that run around thesahn, capped by a band of calligraphy designed by Baysunghur, a son of Gawhar Shad. Vivid, energetic floral patterns in tile and geometric schemes in brick are used in alternation, emphasizing the strong rhythm around thesahn.[2]
In 1965 a scholar ofPersian architecture described the beautiful mosque as the first, and the greatest surviving, Persian monument of the fifteenth century:[3]
Its portal continues theSamarkand style of arch within arch, enriched by a succession ofbevels and reveals that give it depth and power. The thick, tower-likeminarets, merging with the outer corners of the portal screen, extend to the ground and, together with the high foundationrevetment of marble, give the ensemble the impression of solidity necessary to support its exuberant color. The entire courtfaçade is faced with enamel brick andmosaicfaience of the finest quality…
— Arthur Pope,Persian Architecture: The Triumph of Form and Color.
Media related toGoharshad Mosque at Wikimedia Commons
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
