Tabriz Blue Mosque, also known as Jahan Shah Mosque or Mozaffariyeh Mansion, was built during the reign of Jahan Shah in Kara koyunlu dynasty (1351-1469) and completed in 1465. This stunning building is the remnants of Timurid architecture in the 15th- century; Dignity and ultramarine colour of mosaics have made this mosque renowned as “Turquoise of Islam”.
Iran (IMNA) - This magnificent structure was built upon Jahan Shah’s edict, the leader of Kara Koyunlu dynasty in Azerbaijan, when he reigned in Tabriz as the capital city. Moreover, the construction of the Blue Mosque was under the supervision of Kahtun Jan Begom , Jahan Shah’s wife and also his daughter, Saleheh.
The mosque was destroyed by the earthquake of 1779 and thereafter some architects like Mr. Reza Memaran as a gifted Iranian architect rebuilt it. According to some sources and itineraries, the renovation of the Blue Mosque took about 30 years.
The Blue Mosque as an architectural masterpiece served multiple functions during the reign of Jahan Shah, but today only the mosque and mausoleum are still standing. The vanished structures include a sufi convent, an underground canal, a madrasa (an Islamic school), as well as a garden called Begom-abad. According to historians, Khatun Jan Begom and her children were buried in the mausoleum but all tombs have been vanished in the earthquake and just traces of two cryptic graves attributed to Jahan Shah and his wife have been found in the mausoleum.
Particular decorations of the mosque reflect the dominance and strong influence of the Timurid architecture. As a matter of fact, motifs and arches designs in the form of five-and-seven, Chamaneh and Shabdari arches and moreover construction of the dome with the form of a discrete double shell and continuous double shell, mosaics, gypsum, muqarnas and girih tiles, all represent the remarkable manifestation of the architecture. Indeed, the dome of the Blue Mosque has been considered as one of the most brilliant brickworks of the Islamic architecture in the 15th century.
Photos by Elahe Jalali
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