Many cities in Iran have a historic mosque as the Grand Mosque or Jameh Mosque. And interestingly they are one of the most beautiful tourist attractions of the city they are located in. The beautiful city of Kerman in southeastern parts of Iran, which has many valuable historical monuments, is no exception.
Mozaffari Mosque, known as the Kerman Grand Mosque, is a historic one with unique and magnificent architecture that attracts the attention of any tourist. Join us on this short trip to learn more about this beautiful mosque.
Construction of the Mozaffari Mosque
The Kerman Grand Mosque was built in the middle of the fourth century, around the year 1349. “Amir Mobaraz al-Din Muhammad Mozaffari Meybodi” is the name of one of the kings of Muzaffarids. And the construction of the mosque is attributed to his reign. That is why the original name of this historical structure is Mozaffari Grand Mosque. This mosque is currently 700 years old.
Historical documents and information show that the Mozaffari Grand Mosque was built outside the city of Kerman. And after many years, the city of Kerman has become larger and larger and then has embraced this valuable building.
Regarding the story of the construction of this mosque, Mohammad Mozaffari Meybodi goes through a hard battle with the “Jerman and Oghan” people who were a Turk tribe. It was when he intended to leave a good legacy of himself if he survives the war. After surviving the war, he came to Kerman and decided to build this mosque. Apparently, he used the income of harvesting and selling his farming products in Meybod to afford the construction of this mosque. This is how the original building of this magnificent structure begin to stand out.
The Architecture of the Kerman Grand Mosque
Kerman Mozaffari Mosque has three entrance doors on the west, east and north sides of the building. The courtyard of the structure is 66.5 meters long and 49 meters wide. In fact, the courtyard only covers 3258.5 square meters area. On the east side, there is a large entrance that catches everyone’s eyes with its beautiful tile works. Of course, the clock on top of the entrance doubles the glory of it.
This mosque is located in a group of four-Iwan mosques. The tile works in the mosque are beautiful in their own particular way. At the eastern entrance of the mosque, there are also some spectacular Muqarnas works that surely make it worth visiting.
We should also mention the stunning mosaic tiles of the Mihrab, which you can find on the west side of the mosque. Some experts consider this mosaic tiling of the Mihrab and the eastern entrance of the mosque to be the most valuable part of the building. The edge of the Mihrab is made of marble. Moreover, the delicate calligraphy lines on the tiles plus the yellow color combination, double the beauty of it.
But if you go behind the Mihrabon on the west side of the mosque, you will see the shrine of a poet. In fact, this shrine belongs to “Raji Kermani”. He was a Persian poet who has left a collection of his poems, “Heidari’s attack”, as a valuable relic.
Damages and Reconstructions of Mozaffari Mosque
Kerman Mozaffari Mosque, like many historical monuments in the country, has been damaged many times over the years. During the reign of Shah Abbas II, a person named “Shahrokh Nami” restored this historic mosque. Also, there are some lines on the top of the minaret of the mosque, conveying “Mohammad Taghi Khan Durrani”, rebuilt parts of this mosque in 1763. Mohammad Taghi Khan was the ruler of Kerman during Zand Dynasty.
In October 1978, a group of people affiliated with the Pahlavi government, in a strong reaction to the revolutionary movements of the people of Kerman, set fire to the city’s Grand Mosque. And unfortunately, a number of people died during the incident. And after that, the mosque went through reconstruction again. In another example of restoration is after the gunfire of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar that destroyed the eastern entrance.
The Kerman Grand Mosque has been damaged and rebuilt many times throughout history. Today, this historical complex is among the sights of Kerman province. When we talk about the reconstruction of this mosque, it is necessary to mention “Inayatullah Ibn Nizamuddin, the grand architect of Isfahan”. You can see his name on the large Iwan of the mosque. He had played an extensive role in the carvings and tilings of the building, as well as in its reconstruction.
Registration in Iran National Heritage List
Kerman Mozaffari Grand Mosque, which is more commonly called Kerman Grand Mosque, as one of the oldest mosques in Iran and one of the most valuable historical monuments in Kerman, was registered on Iran National Heritage List on March 3, 1961.
Location of Jameh Mosque of Kerman
Mozaffari Grand Mosque or Kerman Grand Mosque is one of the sights of Kerman and is located in the west of “Moshtaqieh” Square (Shohada Square) and the beginning of “Dr. Shariati” Street. This mosque is also located near “Ganjali Khan Bazaar”. See the exact location of the Kerman Grand Mosque on this map:
Final Words
Thank you for joining us on this short trip to Kerman Mozaffari Grand Mosque. I hope you have enjoyed it if so, please let us know in the comments. And in case you need more information or want to book a tour with Tappersia, you can reach us by the contact information below the same page.
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