This article is about Jameh Mosque of Qazvin; for similar uses, see Jameh Mosque (disambiguation).

The Ancient Jāmeh Mosque of Qazvīn ( – Masjid-e-Jāmeh Atīq Qazvīn) is one of the oldest mosques in Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

, and is the grand, congregational mosque (Jāmeh) of Qazvīn city, in Qazvin Province

Qazvin Province

The Qazvin Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north-west of the country, and its center is the city of Qazvin. The province was created in 1993 out of part of Tehran Province and includes 20 cities: Qazvin, Takestan, Abyek, Buin-Zahra, Eqhbalieh, Mohammadieh, Alvand,...

, Iran.

Specifications

The oldest part of the mosque is said to have been constructed by the orders of Harun al-Rashid

Harun al-Rashid

Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....

 in 807CE. Later additions were made, the last being during the late Safavid era

Safavid dynasty

The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...

. The double layered main dome of the mosque is from the Seljuk era, and is locked to the public. It houses some precious examples of relief calligraphy from medieval times. Renovations have also been carried out on many sections of the mosque.

The foundation of the mosque is laid on a Zoroastrian fire temple

Fire temple

A fire temple in Zoroastrianism is the place of worship for Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians revere fire in any form. In the Zoroastrian religion, fire , together with clean water , are agents of ritual purity...

.

In spite of the devastating Mongol

Mongols

Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...

 invasion, the mosque still stands today in its full glory. It is still in use. Parts of the mosque have been turned into a public library.

The mosque also contains a Shabestan

Shabestan

A Shabestan or Shabistan is an underground space that can be usually found in traditional architecture of mosques, houses, and schools in ancient Persia ....

 and Ab anbar

Ab Anbar

An āb anbār is a traditional reservoir or cistern of drinking water in Persian antiquity. The Persian phrase literally translates as "water reservoir".-The structure:...

, both now under the protection of Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization.