Overview:

The Friday Mosque of Herat, also known as the Great Mosque, is the oldest mosque in the city of Herat in Afghanistan. It is a spiritual and historical center of the city. The mosque was built in the 12th century by the Seljuk Dynasty and has been renovated several times since then. It is considered to be a symbol of the city’s history and culture. The mosque has an expansive courtyard, four minarets, a stunning mihrab, several arches, a wide staircase, and a large dome. Its walls are decorated with blue-tiled mosaic designs and Arabic inscriptions. The complex is surrounded by a large garden and houses a museum and a library. The mosque remains an important landmark of Herat and is a popular spot for tourists visiting the city. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Afghanistan
Prominent Features:

1. The Friday Mosque of Herat, also known as the Great Mosque of Herat, is one of the most impressive religious monuments in all of Afghanistan. 2. Constructed in 1417, the Friday Mosque was built with an innovative design that has a circular center surrounded by four separate corners which each contain their own large domed chamber. 3. The mosque comprises of an ornately decorated main chamber with three bays that are filled with intricate geometric mosaics, subtle Islamic inscriptions, and colorful murals. 4. The exterior was designed with a tiled façade featuring dark-blue and turquoise tiles arranged in intricate floral and geometric patterns. 5. This awe-inspiring structure is constructed from baked bricks and stone, while the interior is adorned with carved wooden pillars and intricate tilework. 6. The prayer hall is embraced by a lofty roof that comprise of 40 dark-wooden columns which are decorated with carved copies of the Quran. 7. From the minarets of the mosque, two adjoining mihrabs are visible which create a beautiful archway of light, beautiful during the day and night. 8. In addition, the mosque also includes a library, a kitchen, and a courtyard where pilgrims can socialize, relax and reflect. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Afghanistan.

History:

The Friday Mosque of Herat is one of the most historically important mosques in Afghanistan. Also known as the Masjid-e Jami, it was built in 1354 by the orders of the Timurid ruler, Amir Ghiyas ud-Din. It is said that the ruling dynasty changed the region from a rural area to an iconic city and this mosque stands perfectly to mark their endeavour. It is the oldest surviving mosque in the city and is constructed on the grounds of an earlier mosque and mausoleums from the Ghaznavid Empire. The Jami Mosque was damaged by the Mongols in 1219 and it was later rebuilt to the current state by Amir Ghiyas ud-Din. The mosque has a unique architecture and is quite a sight with its four unglazed turquoise tiles, which had been imported from Samarkand. In the 1880s, the mosque underwent a massive renovation and the tile floors were redone with intricate geometric patterns with turquoise and cobalt blue borders. One of the most interesting features of the mosque includes the red stone mihrab or prayer niche which is said to have been gifted by the famous Mughal emperor Akbar. The mosque also has a small museum attached where visitors will find plenty of artifacts from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as coins, pottery, manuscripts and carpets. Overall the Friday Mosque of Herat is a place of historical importance in Afghanistan and a must-visit for anyone travelling to the area. Visit one of the famous monuments of Afghanistan with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. The Masjid-i Jami’ of Herat, also known as the “Friday Mosque”, is a renowned Mosque located in the historic city of Herat in Afghanistan. 2. The Mosque was built in the 11th century and was the main religious center during the Ghurid dynasty. 3. It is the oldest mosque in Afghanistan and one of the oldest in Central Asia. 4. The main building and two other structures within the Mosque, the Jami’ Masjid and the Chihil-Sutun, represent a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. 5. Throughout the years, the Mosque has been repeatedly restored and upgraded, with the current building structure having been completed in the 16th century. 6. The Mosque consists of five domes, shaped in the traditional Persian architectural style, two wings, three minarets, and four gates. 7. The Mosque houses 11th century Ghurid inscriptions in both Kufic and e Nabataean scripts. 8. In the interior of the Mosque, visitors can find exquisite Muqarnas, a form of Islamic art that uses ornate geometric shapes to decorate walls and ceilings. 9. The Mosque is surrounded by a lush green garden that further adds to the beauty of the Mosque. 10. The Friday Mosque of Herat is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the historic city of Herat and a must-visit site for history and architecture buffs. One of the historical monuments of Afghanistan, it tells the story of a bygone era