The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī, also known as the Mosque of 'Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is a mausoleum which many Muslims believe contains the tomb of 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Shī'as consider 'Alī as their first Imām, and the Sunnis regard him as the fourth Sunni Rashid Caliph. According to Shī'ite belief, buried next to 'Alī within this mosque are the remains of Adam and Nuh (Noah). Each year, millions of pilgrims visit the Shrine and pay tribute to Imām 'Alī.
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Turkey and Iraq to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and from the Caucasus to Zanzibar. Persian buildings vary greatly in scale and function, from vernacular architecture to monumental complexes. In addition to historic gates, palaces, and mosques, the rapid growth of cities such as the capital Tehran has brought about a wave of demolition and new construction.
Goharshad Mosque is a grand congregational mosque built during the Timurid period in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, which now serves as one of the prayer halls within the Imam Reza shrine complex.
The Shah Mosque is a mosque located in Isfahan, Iran. It is located on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan Square. It was built during the Safavid dynasty under the order of Shah Abbas I of Persia.
An iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called pishtaq, a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and geometric designs. Since the definition allows for some interpretation, the overall forms and characteristics can vary greatly in terms of scale, material, or decoration.
The Sa'd al-Saltaneh Caravanserai is a large Caravanserai located in the city of Qazvin in Qazvin Province of Iran.
The Jāmeh Mosque of Isfahān or Jāme' Mosque of Isfahān, also known as the Atiq Mosque and the Friday Mosque of Isfahān, is a historic congregational mosque (Jāmeh) of Isfahan, Iran. The mosque is the result of continual construction, reconstruction, additions and renovations on the site from around 771 to the end of the 20th century. The Grand Bazaar of Isfahan can be found towards the southwest wing of the mosque. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. It is one of the largest and most important monuments of Islamic architecture in Iran.
Rabati Malik, also called Ribat-i Malik, is a caravanserai ruin located on the M37 road from Samarkand to Bukhara about a kilometer west of the edge of Malik, Navoiy Province, Uzbekistan. It was constructed along the Silk Road according to the orders of Karakhanid Shams al-Mulk Nasr, son of Tamgachkhan Ibragim, who ruled in Samarkand from 1068 until 1080.
The Ganjali Khan Complex is a Safavid-era building complex, located in the old center of city of Kerman, Iran. The complex is composed of a school, a square, a caravanserai, a bathhouse (hammam), an Ab Anbar, a mint, a mosque and a bazaar.
The Jameh Mosque of Saveh is a Seljuk-era mosque, located in Saveh, Iran. This monument was built in the 12th century, coinciding with the establishment of the city itself.
Jāmeh Mosque of Varāmīn, Congregation mosque of Varamin, Friday mosque of Varamin or Grand mosque of Varamin is the grand congregational mosque of Varamin in the Tehran Province of Iran. This mosque is one of the oldest buildings of Varamin city. Its construction began during the reign of Sultan Mohammad Khodabaneh and was completed during his son’s, Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan, rule in 1322. This building consists of a shabestan, portico, large brick dome, the structure beside shabestan and ten small arches along with one large arch in the middle.
Kharanaq is a village located 70 km north of Yazd in Rabatat Rural District, Kharanaq District, Ardakan County, Yazd Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 433, in 133 families. The town and its minaret have become a minor tourist attraction. Kharanaq, which was known as a world and historical village, was introduced as the 23rd city of Yazd province on July 6, 2020. This 4500-year-old city is surrounded by mountains on one side and desert from the other. Many buildings in Kharanaq/ Kharanagh are completely collapsed and ramshackle, but among them, the remaining mosque from the Qajar period, a shaking minaret from 17th and the caravanserai of the city have been reconstructed and can be visited.
Iraj Castle is a fortification built in 4th or 5th century AD in the central region of Ray, Sasanian Empire, near modern-day Asgarabad-e Abbasi, Iran. The monument is known for its peculiar design: large defensive walls with embedded rooms and arches, with towers at regular intervals, enclosing a vast empty interior of 190 hectares.
The Jameh Mosque of Khozan is a historical mosque in the Khomeyni Shahr County of the Isfahan Province. The original building of the mosque dated back to the Timurid era in the 15th century, but it's improbable that the current building to be older than the Safavid era. The mosque has four iwans. The southern iwan leads to the inner space of the dome. The inner space of the dome is decorated by muqarnas. The walls of the mosque are covered by stones and bricks. The arches of the northern and southern iwans are decorated with some paintings from the Safavid era., but the paintings of the eastern and western iwans seem to belong to the Qajar era. The shabestan of the mosque is behind the western iwan. There are 20 stone columns with the height of 2 m in the shabestan. The shabestan had been lit originally with the marble stones of the ceiling, but during the recent reparations, these marble stones have been removed.
The Jameh mosque of Kashan is the oldest historical structure in Kashan, Iran. Its only brick minaret is located in its southeastern corner. On the bottom part of the minaret, there is a kufic inscription made by embossed brick. On the inscription, it is mentioned the construction date of the minaret, which is 1074 AD. The minaret is the third oldest minaret in Iran, which has an inscription.
The Meydan mosque is a historical mosque in Kashan, Iran. It is located in the southern side of the Sang-e Ghadimi square and beside the Bazaar of Kashan. It is one of the oldest structures in Kashan. The primary structure belonged possibly to the seljuq era, but it was destroyed by the Mongols during their invasions. Later it was rebuilt and repaired by Khaje Emad ed-Din. A quotation for this matter is an inscription in the old mihrab, in which it is mentioned that it is built in 623 Hijri by Hassan ebn-e Arabschah in Kashan. The mihrab was in its original place until the last century, but it is kept now in the Museum of Islamic art in Berlin.
Persian domes or Iranian domes have an ancient origin and a history extending to the modern era. The use of domes in ancient Mesopotamia was carried forward through a succession of empires in the Greater Iran region.
Chartaq, chahartaq (چهارطاق), chartaqi (چارطاقی), or chahartaqi (چهارطاقی), literally meaning "having four arches", is an architectural unit consisted of four barrel vaults and a dome.
The Izad Khast Castle is located in Izadkhast in the Fars Province, central Iran. The castle was built during the Sassanid Empire and functioned as fortified walled city on the ancient Silk Road that ran through central Iran. It is the second largest adobe building in the world after Arg-e Bam.
The Jameh Mosque of Natanz is located in the city of Natanz, Isfahan province. It dates back to the Mongol Ilkhanid period and was first constructed during the reign of the Mongol ruler Öljaitü. The structure is a complex comprising a mosque, a khanqah and the tomb of Abdul Samad al-Isfahani, a prominent Sufi ascetic.
