A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can have a variety of forms, from thick, squat towers to soaring, pencil-thin spires.
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic area historically ranging from western Africa and Europe to eastern Asia. Certain commonalities are shared by Islamic architectural styles across all these regions, but over time different regions developed their own styles according to local materials and techniques, local dynasties and patrons, different regional centers of artistic production, and sometimes different religious affiliations.
The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī, also known as the Mosque of 'Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is a mausoleum which many Shia 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.
Qazvin is a city in the Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Iran, and serves as the capital of the district, county, and province. It is the largest city in Qazvin province.
İnce Minareli Medrese is a 13th-century madrasa located in Konya, Turkey, now housing the Museum of Stone and Wood Art, noted for its ornate entrance, domed courtyard, ornamentally bricked minaret, partially destroyed in 1901, and exemplar Anatolian Seljuk architecture.
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.
Semnan is a city in the Central District of Semnan County, Semnan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county and the district. The city is on the alluvial fan of the Golrudbar creek in the north-central part of the country, 216 km east of Tehran and 640 km west of Mashhad. With a population of 185,129 people in 2016, Semnan is the most populous city in the province and the hub of the Semnani language, a sub-branch of the Iranian languages spoken to the north. It is home to the Semnani ethnic group.
An Iranian architect is traditionally called a mi'mar.
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. Its religious importance stems from the eschatological reports concerning the mosque, and historic events associated with it. Christian and Muslim tradition alike consider it the burial place of John the Baptist's head, a tradition originating in the 6th century. Two shrines inside the premises commemorate the Islamic prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali, whose martyrdom is frequently compared to that of John the Baptist and Jesus.
Damghan is a city in the Central District of Damghan County, Semnan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
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.
The Jāmeh Mosque of Yazd is the grand, congregational mosque (Jāmeh) of Yazd city, within the Yazd Province of Iran. The mosque is depicted on the obverse of the Iranian 200 rials banknote.
The Imam Reza shrine, located in Mashhad, Iran, is an Islamic shrine containing the remains of Ali al-Rida, the eighth imam in Twelverism. It is the largest mosque in the world by area. Also contained within the complex are the Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, four seminaries, a cemetery, the Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, a dining hall for pilgrims, vast prayer halls, and other buildings.
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.
The Jameh Mosque of Golpayegan is one of the important mosques of the Seljukid era and one of the large mosques in Iran. In view of its construction date, it may be said that its Iranian Islamic architecture was a model for building other large mosques specially the mosques, which were in the territory of seljukid dynasty. This mosque is located in the Masjed Jameh street in Golpayegan.
The Sepahsālār Mosque is a famous historic mosque in Tehran, Iran. The construction project of the mosque was started in 1879 upon the order of Mirza Hosein Sepahsalar, the Grand Vizir of Iran during Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, and the first phase of construction was finished after five years since it was started. The mosque was renamed the Shahid Motahhari, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, but it is commonly known as its initial name of Sepahsalar Mosque.
Fakhr-ol-dowleh mosque (Persian: مسجد فخرالدوله) or Fakhr mosque, originally named Amin-ol-dowleh mosque, is a historic mosque in Fakhrabad street in the Shemiran Gate neighborhood, Tehran. It was designed and built by Nikolai Markov in 1949. Fakhr-ol-dowleh, daughter of Naser al-Din Shah, was the founder of the mosque and named it after her father-in-law, Amin-ol-dowleh. However, the mosque is now called Fakhr or Fakhr-ol-dowleh, after its founder.
Jameh Mosque of Sabzevar is one of the oldest mosques in Sabzevar, built during the Sarbadars period.
