Avash News: The Jameh Mosque of Orumieh is one of the oldest buildings in the historic city of Orumieh. The mosque is located in the middle of the city’s old bazaar, serving as one of the main pillars of its historic texture.
Some experts believe that the Jameh Mosque of Orumieh was initially a fire temple, which was destroyed following the Muslims’ dominance. Then, in the 7th century, a mosque was built over its ruins.
The date of the mosque’s restoration is not clear, but its mihrab was constructed in 676 AH. One of the main features of the mosque is that its old section resembles the Sassanid Damghan Palace.
The world’s largest plasterwork mihrab
The dome of the mosque belongs to the Seljuqid era, dating back approximately 800 years. The dome’s height, from floor to ceiling, is about 18 meters. Inside the mosque, there is a mihrab dating back to the Ilkhanid era, which is considered the first Ilkhanid mihrab in the world. The mihrab was designed and built by Sharaf-Shah Tabrizi, a famous architect of that time. Its height is about 8 meters, and its width is 5.5 meters.
One of the most attractive features of the mosque is its intricate and complex plasterwork. There is evidence indicating that an older mihrab existed in the same location, including calligraphies on the margin of the mihrab that date back to earlier periods.
World Heritage Registration
The Jameh Mosque of Orumieh has been under restoration over the past few years to be registered as a significant monument on the World Heritage List. According to officials, including Safari, the general director of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of West Azarbaijan Province, the mosque is on its way to being registered on the World Heritage List.
Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, has also described the registration of the mosque on the World Heritage List as a strategic move that contributes to the expansion of cultural diplomacy and the introduction of Iran’s history and civilization globally.
The Jameh Mosque of Orumieh, dating back over 1,000 years, is a unique historical site in West Azarbaijan Province. The province has more than 1,800 registered sites, among them Chaldoran Church, Takkab Takht-e Suleiman, Shah Abbas Caravanserai in Khoy, and Zoor Zoor Church in Maku, which have been registered on the World Heritage List.
