Goharshad Mosque
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Goharshad Mosque is a famous mosque in Razavi Khorasan province of Iran.
It was built by the orders of Goharshad, the wife of Shah Rukh of the Timurid Dynasty in 1418 CE and by the architect Ghavameddin Shirazi.
The mosque underwent some renovations during the Safavid and Qajar era. It has 4 iwans and a courtyard measuring 50 X 55 meters, as well as several Shabestans.
The double layered dome of the mosque was severely damaged in 1911 in bombings by Russian troops.
The Passage below is cited directly from Arthur Upham Pope; in "Persian Architecture, the Triumph of form & colour".,New York, 1965.
"The first & greatest surviving, Persian monument of the fifteenth (15th) Century is the beautiful mosque of GoharShad 1418 CE now abutting the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. Its portals continue the Samarkand style of arch within arch, enriched by a succession of bevels and reveals that give it depth and power. The thick, tower like minarets, merging with the outer corners of the portal screen, extend the ground and, together with the high foundation revetment of marble, give the ensemble the impression of solidity necessary to support its exuberant color. The entire court facade is faced with enamel brick and mosaic faience of the finest quality. The full sacle of colors includes a dominant cobalt blue and turquoise, white, a transparent green, yellow, saffron, aubergine and mirror black-all tones fluctuating through several shades. The patterns, lucid and vigorous, are artfully adapted to their decorative role, whether for eye level panels, or dome ornament meant to be effective at a thousand feet. Monotony, difficult to avoid in such a large area, and distracting intricacy that might compete with the essential architectural forms are both forestalled. This is accomplished by the energy of the faience floral patterns and brick geometrical schemes; by the emphatic rhythm of the arcades, open galleries and deep recesses; and especially by the striking contrast of the ivans. The Sanctuary ivan is in pure white, while in the other three ivans the ground color of the vault is pale red, carrying large white-outlined kufic inscriptions of light turquoise that appear green against the reddish ground. The whole decor is interlaced with an unusual amount of white, which adds clarity and excitement to the total effect.
"It needs no acquaintance with other styles to acclaim this court, among the buildings now existing, as the most beautiful example of color in architecture ever devised." (Robert Byron)
The Architect was Ghavameddin Shirazi, who is responsible for so many of Shah Rukh's great buildings. Although most of the great Timurid monuments were built in the North of the empire, the architectural and decorative genius came from Shiraz and Isfahan.
