Sepahsalar Mosque

Sepahsālār Mosque
مسجد سپهسالار
The mosque in 2011
Sepahsalar Mosque is located in Tehran
Sepahsalar Mosque
Location in Tehran
Religion
AffiliationShia Islam
Mosque and madrasa
StatusActive
Location
LocationBaharestan, Tehran, Tehran Province
CountryIran
Coordinates35°41′19.5″N 51°25′58.37″E / 35.688750°N 51.4328806°E / 35.688750; 51.4328806
Architecture
Architects
TypeMosque architecture
Style
Founder
Groundbreaking1879 CE
Completed1884 CE
Specifications
Length62 m (203 ft)
Width61 m (200 ft)
Interior area
16,000 m2 (170,000 sq ft)
DomeTwo (maybe more)
Dome height (outer)
37 m (121 ft)
Minaret8
Minaret height
37 m (121 ft)
MaterialsBricks; stone; plaster; tile; marble
The mosque in the 1960s
Official name
Sepahsālār Mosque
TypeBuilt
Designated20 June 1936
Reference no.260
Conservation organization
Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran
[1]

The Sepahsālār Mosque (Persian: مسجد سپهسالار, romanized: Masjed-e Sepahsālār; Arabic: مسجد سبهسالار) is a mosque and madrasa located in the Baharestan district of the city of Tehran, in the province of Tehran, Iran. Construction of the mosque commenced in 1879 CE upon the order of Mirza Hosein Sepahsalar, a Grand Vizier of Iran during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, and the first phase of construction was finished in 1884 CE. The mosque was renamed the Shahid Motahhari (مسجد شهید مطهری) or the Motahhari Mosque, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, but it is commonly known by its original name.

The Sepahsalar Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Tehran.[2] During the late Qajar as well as Pahlavi eras, the Sepahsalar Mosque was a distinctive landmark of Tehran with its eight minarets a unique design among Iranian mosques.[2] The mosque was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 20 June 1936, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.

Architecture

Designed by Mirza Mehdi Khan Shaghaghi, also known as Momtahen ud-Doleh, the Sepahsalar Mosque is the first mosque in Tehran whose design is a mix of Persian and Ottoman styles. The building is inspired by Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, Chaharbagh School and Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The mosque has a special dome and eight minarets.[3]

The main entrance portal and the façade are of a quite distinctive Qajar style. Two massive minarets flank the recessed entrance, which leads into a large sahn surrounded by twin-storeyed arcades of college rooms; in all there are some 60 chambers.[4]

Tiles with full-blown floral girih motifs in a typically flamboyant Qajar style decorate the courtyard, while a tile inscription band gives details of the original endowment. The prayer hall dome, 37 metres (121 ft) in height, is supported by 44 columns.[4][5]

The mosque has a clock with three bells that was crafted in France in 1880. This exquisite timepiece sits atop a 5-metre-high (16 ft) tiled room between two minarets over the north iwan. The sound of the bells resonates through the mosque complex.[6] There are numerous inscriptions on the mosque in both Thuluth and Kufic scripts.[7]

Events

Former Prime Minister and Minister of the Royal Court Abdolhossein Hazhir was assassinated by a member of the Fada'iyan-e Islam at the mosque in November 1949.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sepahsālār Mosque". Iran Tourism and Touring Organization. 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Sepahsalar Mosque and school in Tehran". payvand.com. Archived from the original (photos) on March 31, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Sepahsalar Mosque". Persian Tourism Guide. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Motahari Mosque (Masjed-e Sepahsalar)". SURFIRAN. September 26, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Sepahsalar Mosque: A Persian Architectural Masterpiece". Eavar Travel. September 22, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Explore Sepahsalar mosque-school in downtown Tehran". Tehran Times. July 13, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ Mahjour, F.; Aliei, M. (2012). "A SURVEY OF INSCRIPTIONS OF SHAHID MOTAHHARI (SEPAH-SALAR) MOSQUE-SCHOOL". Journal of Fine Arts: Visual Arts. 4 (48): 49–58. doi:10.22059/jfava.2012.24691.
  8. ↑ Kazemi, Farhad (1984). "The Fadaˈiyan-e Islam: Fanaticism, Politics and Terror". In Arjomand, Said Amir (ed.). From Nationalism to Revolutionary Islam. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 163. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-06847-0. ISBN 978-1-349-06849-4.

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