Jame mosque of Yazd, with more than 900 years of age, is one of the most picturesque mosques of Iran and is considered as one of the most magnificent and splendid structures in an architectural and historical point of view. This prominent and ancient mosque is what the locals consider as the primary symbol of their city.
The Jame mosque of Yazd is situated in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Yazd in the heart of the city. As a matter of fact, you won’t have a hard time locating it since it’s so distinguished amongst the citizens. Besides the mosque, there is even an antique bazaar located at the end of the Jame Mosque street. You can even reach “Jewish alley”, one of the most well-known historical districts of the city, through the local bazaar near the Jame Mosque.
Long time ago, it was customary that the mosques were built near a bazaar for a single reason; worshiping. In reality, when the merchants and traders heard the holy sound of Adhan, they would immediately close their shops and rush to the mosque in order to say their prayers. Only one single reason was enough to make that a custom in construction of mosques in the Islamic era of Iran and that reason had become a habit nowadays among the locals.
Some locals believe that the altar of Jame mosque of Yazd, also known as Mihrab amongst Muslims, is made of Karbala’s soil and rose water, hence they consider it as a sacred and holy place. It is said that the construction of this holy mosque took more than a century which took place in various dynasties.
Before the emergence of Islam in Iran, there used to be a Zoroastrian fire temple instead of the mosque and the Zoroastrians used to worship their god, Ahura Mazda, before Islam was popular among the people. After the arrival of Islam in Iran, the first pillars of the mosque were built upon the fire temple so that they could invite more people to join Islam religion and show the union between Islam and Zoroastrianism.
Jame mosque of Yazd has unique and exceptional architectural features that you cannot find anywhere else. The main scheme of this construction was inspired by Kaaba’s design and architecture, in other words it’s quadrangular. You may notice that Mongolian architecture style was used in some parts of the mosque as well, that’s the main reason the design of the mosque is similar to other sites and ancient complexes in Herat and Bukhara.
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