Visit Tarikhaneh Mosque in Damghan When You Travel to Iran
Visit Tarikhaneh Mosque in Damghan When You Travel to Iran
Tarikhaneh Mosque has been listed as one of the oldest mosques of Iran. The structure was built during the rule of the Sassanids in the 2nd century AH. You can notice both Sassanid and Arab-Islamic influences in the building. It has been constructed along the lines of the Medina mosque over the ruins of a fire temple.
The materials used in making this structure are mainly sun-baked bricks and wood. There is a huge courtyard in the middle which is square in shape. Porticos are aligned on all sides of this courtyard with barrel-shaped ceilings. The pillars are thick and rounded. There is one wide portico which has an altar behind it, along with a pulpit.
Description
When you visit Damghan, you will find that Tarikhaneh Mosque has a gallery where 18 columns are there in front of the Qiblah. There is a minaret too but it was constructed by the Seljuks. The minaret is covered with tiles and there are inscriptions on it too. This is said to be oldest remaining example of Islamic architecture. Tarikhaneh consists of two words of tari and khaneh which means the House of God and is a mixture of Turkish and Iranian terms.
Located at the southeast of the city of Damghan, it has a towering minaret, which is placed outside the yard. This minaret was made to help caravans to find their way to the mosque without any problem. When you travel to Iran, you will still find that the mosque has a large roofed hall with several columns. There are 7 vertical outfalls and 3 horizontal outfalls in the hall. The outfall in the middle is higher than the rest and has the altar in it.
Very Old Architecture Style
The traditional plan of Tarikhaneh Mosque can be seen in Firozabad Palace in Fars province and Sassanid Palace in Damghan. When you visit Damghan , you will see that the arches have been built in particular styles, which are very old. You can also see it in Haft Tappeh of Shush. But many parts of the mosque were also built later as can be seen from the later style of architecture. The zigzag arc and many domes are believed to be built much later. Many parts of Tarikhaneh Mosque are now in ruins too which you can see when you travel to Iran.