Usually, every big city has a mosque. Shiraz is no exception. The Jame Atiq Mosque of Shiraz was built in the 9th century AD. Other names of this mosque are Adina, Shiraz Old Grand Mosque, and Friday Mosque. It is said that our great poet, Hafez-e Shirazi (Lasan al-Ghaib) made this place his corner of worship.
Although according to historical texts, this mosque was built in the Saffarid period, it seems that its original core belongs to the period of Omar bin Abdul Aziz’s rule. During its lifetime, this mosque was repeatedly destroyed due to frequent earthquakes. On the other hand, due to the efforts of great men, many repairs and changes were made to it and many sections were added to it. These measures were carried out at different times, especially during the Atabakan, Al-Inju, Timurid, Safavid, Qajar, and early Pahlavi periods.
The Location and General Description of the Jame Atiq Mosque of Shiraz
the Jame Atiq Mosque of Shiraz is one of the oldest buildings of the Islamic period of this city, which contains works of art and architecture in a period of about 12 centuries. This mosque is located at the end of Margh market neighborhood, near the junction of two neighborhoods, Ishaq Bey and Lab Ab, and a short distance from Shah Chirag’s courtyard and mausoleum and Seyyed Mir Mohammad Imamzadeh, and has 6 entrances. In terms of the location of the building, it can be said that it is located in the vicinity of the tomb of Shahcheragh of Shiraz.
Sengab is one of the important movable elements in Iranian architecture, especially in mosques and blessed places and sometimes in baths, which is manifested in various forms. Despite the abundance of sandbars, the diversity of their forms is very small and is summarized in circular and rectangular cube shapes.
The sengab of the Jame Atiq mosque of Shiraz has a special and exceptional form among all the sengabs, which, despite its beauty and unique form, has not been noticed by researchers due to excessive erosion and destruction of its inscriptions. One reason is the lack of written sources, which is quite noticeable.
The Distinguishing Feature of Jame Atiq Mosque of Shiraz from other Buildings
What distinguishes Jame Atiq mosque from other buildings and mosques is the presence of a beautiful stone building called Khodaikhane or Darul Mushaf, which is built in the middle of its courtyard. Another advantage of this mosque is the existence of dozens of stone and tile inscriptions with the themes of the decrees of kings, princes, rulers, endowments, the history of restoration, and Quranic themes and hadiths from different periods. They adorn the portals, courtyards, porches, shrines, and altars of this mosque.
A beautiful sangab (large stone vessel for water) with a special and exceptional shape from the Qajar period has also added to the richness of artworks in the Jame Atiq mosque of Shiraz. This sangab was built and installed in the mosque after extensive renovations in this period.
Do not Miss Visiting This Attraction
It can definitely be said that the whole building of the Jame Atiq mosque of Shiraz and especially the Khodainameh section in it is unique in all of Iran and you will not see anything like it anywhere else. Usually, many people travel to Shiraz, but they do not visit this valuable building. It can be said that the lack of awareness of its value has caused such a thing.
If you are going to Shiraz personally or if you have purchased an Iran tour package that includes Shiraz from one of the best travel agencies in Iran, we recommend that you definitely visit the Jame Atiq mosque of Shiraz. By knowing the ancient works of Iran, you will know your national identity more and better.
