Friday Mosque in Iran reflects architectural features of different periods

The mosque, which was first built in the 12th century during the Seljuk period, took its distinctive shape in the 14th century during the Ilkhanid period, and reached its final form with additions made in the 18th and 19th centuries, is one of the symbolic structures of the city of Yazd, located in the middle of the desert, with its blue and yellow tiles.

Located in the historical part of the city Friday MosqueIt is surrounded by a historical market and houses. In one sense, the mosque is located in the center of the historical Yazd settlement.

Facing a long street lined with shops, the 48-meter double minarets of the mosque are located in a position that can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. While one side of the entrance where the minarets are located is based on the historical market, the other side is supported by a buttress.

The twin minarets of the Cuma Mosque are not located on the right and left of the mosque, unlike other mosques, but both are on the left of the mosque and front and back.

When the ceiling of the entrance section, which starts from the top of the marble floor half a meter above the ground and rises in a rectangular shape, is completed, double minarets begin to appear immediately above it.

The minarets, covered with blue, yellow and green tiles, hold the title of the highest minarets in Iran with a height of 48 meters.

One of the minarets of Cuma Mosque has a single staircase, while the other minaret has two separate staircases designed as spirals so that they do not see each other. A person coming down from the minaret and someone going up the minaret at the same time can move in different directions without seeing each other.

According to rumor, one minaret is built by a master and the other by two apprentices. In order to make his resentful apprentices reconcile, the master gives the two of them the task of working together to build the minaret. He says he doesn’t want to see them before the minaret is finished.

After months of work, the master comes to check the minaret with the hope that his apprentices will make peace, but encounters an unexpected situation.

The minaret was finished, but the apprentices did not make peace or even see each other. When the master ascends and descends the minaret and sees that he uses two different stairs, he realizes that the resentful apprentices have built a minaret with a two-storey spiral staircase in order not to deal with each other and not to make peace.

Although it is a matter of debate how true the rumors are, they leave behind a minaret with a two-storey spiral staircase and a unique architecture.

As you enter the iwan from the main gate, on which two minarets are built, there is the domed winter prayer area of ​​the mosque on the left.

A BRICK FROM EVERY HOUSE

Giving information about the mosque, tourism expert Rahime Gencizade said that the Cuma Mosque, also called the Grand Mosque and Masjid-i Cedid, is a symbol of unity and solidarity for the people of Yazd.

Gencizade stated that many stories were told about the construction of the mosque and that according to one of these stories, a brick was brought from each house during construction and the wall was built.

Gencizade said that it is important for the people of Yazd that each resident donates a brick from the wall of their own house to the mosque, adding that this indicates unity and solidarity.