TEHRAN – Scaffolding was removed from South Ivan in Jamemosk, Kazbin, nearly 15 years later, marking the completion of a major restoration project, the head of the provincial cultural heritage said Thursday.
Seyyed Mehdi Hosseini said on a recent visit to the site that the removal followed instructions from the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Crafts.
“The scaffolding was installed about 15 years ago to preserve and restore this part of the mosque. During this period, structural damage was addressed and maintenance work was carried out,” explained Hosseini.
He said the restoration would include additional removal that is incompatible with incompatible repairs, strengthening the structure with traditional materials, reconstructing decorative vaults based on the original design, and preserving historical layers.
According to Hosseini, the next stage will focus on the dome chambers of the mosque once the relevant research is finished.
Jamemesk in Kazbin, also known as the city’s Friday mosque, is one of Iran’s oldest and most important Islamic monuments. Built on the grounds of the Temple of Fire in Sassania, this foundation dates back to 807 CE under the caliph Harun al-Rashid from Abbas.
Today, the mosque is recognized as a classic example of a plan for a tetraneous courtyard with a central yard of about 4,000 square meters. Located 150 km northwest of Tehran, Kazbin served as the capital of Safavid for over 40 years in the 16th century.
Hosseini said the mosque, which is being considered for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, remains at the heart of both the city’s cultural identity and its continued conservation efforts.
Located about 150 km northwest of Tehran, Kazbin was the capital of the Safavid Empire for over 40 years (1555-1598) and is now known as the calligraphy capital of Iran. The city has been of central importance at a major moment in Iranian history. It was originally founded by Shapur I (r. 240–270), the second ruler of the Sasanian Empire. It was resent by Shapur II (r. 309–379) who founded Coinmint there. Under the Sasanians, Kazbin acted as a frontier town against the adjacent Deiramite, invading the area.
Qazvin was captured by invading the Arabs around 644 AD and was destroyed by Hulagu Khan in the 13th century. In 1555, after the capture of the Ottoman Tablis, Shah Tahasp (1524–1576) made Kazbin the capital of the Safavid Empire. This was held by Kazbin for half a century until Kazbin moved through the capital to Isfahan in 1598.
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