Gorgān Jām'eh Mosque
The Jām'eh mosque in Gorgān is located in the homonymous city (Golestān region) next to the main bazaar Na'lbandān and was built in the Seljuk era by Turkmen architects. In later times, the Timurids, the Safavids and the Afsharids was rebuilt.
Historical sources date it back to the 814 year of the lunar Hegira. With particular architectural decorations (a combination of bricks and tiles, encaustic tiles) and a circular and brick minaret, it has a central courtyard at 4 Iwan, 4 Shabestan and a mihrab.
In this mosque there are many inscriptions on stone; the oldest dates back to before the Safavid rule over Iran and belongs to the period of the governors Kara Koyunlu or "Turcomanni della Pecora Nera" (826 lunar Egira).
In these inscriptions are covered topics such as: various historical edicts of governors and kings, the governor's name, narratives, history and documents of the restoration, donations relating to the mosque etc.
One of the most significant peculiarities of the Jām'eh mosque in Gorgān is its ancient minaret built in brick and cylindrical and above it there is a place where the muezzin can stand up and pronounce the call to prayer; this māzaneh (semi-open space with wooden cover) on four sides and with the use of wooden planks has a sloping roof similar to a terracotta sheet roof.
This minaret has an inscription containing information in Pahlavi and Kufic language. Above the text cufic there is a decoration with beautiful bricks repeated all around the minaret in the form of a ribbon. A part of it in the brickworking composition is open and creates the lighting inside.
The connection to the room of the māzaneh consists of 47 spiral steps around the minaret. The minbar ancient of the mosque (from the Timurid period) which is now kept in a glass case, has eight wooden steps with inlays and is decorated with floral designs. In the twelve octagonal frames there are the names of the twelve Imams (A) and in addition to those on the body on the left of this wooden pulpit there are drawings iSlim.
In minbar there are three inscriptions of the timurid and afsharide epoch in calligraphy Suns, naskh e nasta'liq. Two wooden doors with rare inlays date back to ancient times.
In recent years it has been rumored that the founders of the mosque during construction had buried some gold under one of the Shabestan in order to use it later for the restorations. Some time later, a small amount of precious metal was found in the mosque area!
The ancient cemetery of Gorgān is part of the buildings around the mosque, was built at the same time and for centuries has retained its function; in past decades it has decayed but now a part of it has remained and is connected to the bazaar "Na'lbandān" while some parts have been buried under the madrasa Ansari and the library building of the mosque Jām'eh.
