Blue mosque_Tabriz

Blue mosque, also known as Kabood or Goy mosque, is a famouse heritage site in Tabriz, Iran. The mosque and some other public buildings were constructed upon the order of Jahan Shah, the ruler of Kara Koyunlu dynasty who chose Tabriz as the capital of his kingdom. There is a mausoleum in the southern section of the mosque where the builder, Jahan Shah, is buried.Originally built in 1465, the mosque was among the most glorious buildings of its era. Once built, artists took a further 25 years to cover every surface with dark and bright blue tiles and intricate calligraphy. This precious work of Islamic period is known as “the turquoise of Islam” since it was decorated in turquoise-colored tiles for which it is nicknamed. Decoratively, it can be compared with Timurid works in Herat, Samarqand and Khorasan, and in terms of architecture it is comparable with Ottoman buildings especially with great mosques of Orhan and Yeshil in Bursa.There are at least 3 “Blue Mosques” in the world: Tabriz, Istanbul, and Yervan. There is another one in Afganestan too, but it is not so famous.The most outstanding features of the Blue Mosque in Tabriz include its especial blue tiles in northern façade, its large dome that spans a large area of about 30 meters by 30 meters and its double-layered roof made of bricks and some special limestone. Geographically located in a cold cimate, the mosque has no quadrangle. The diverse Kufic and Thulth scripts, the exquisite arabesque patterns, and the admirable chromatic of these facades, which are truly stupendous, were created by Nematollah-ebn-e Mohammad-ol-bavab, the famous calligrapher. The walls (inside and outside) had been covered with mosaic tiles.

Shadravan Bridge_Khuzestan province

The Shadravan Bridge is located on the Karoon River in Khuzestan province and dates back to the Sassanid era. It currently runs parallel to the newly constructed bridge located on the Shushtar-Dezful Road. The bridge was once 550 meters long and included 44 arched openings, but due to negligence today only sixteen arches of the Bridge remain. With occasional flooding and lack of proper maintenance Shadravan Bridge faces the possibility of further deterioration and perhaps complete destruction.Shadravan Bridge, also called Shapuri, is located some 300 meters west of Mizan Dam. Its pillars are 7 meter wide, its water passage 8 meters wide, and its height, from the base to the arch crown, around 10 meters. The material used in the project are the traditional ones including river stones, rocks, mortar and old stucco.The Bridge was built in the Sassanid era, during the rule of Shapur I, to transfer water to the Khuzestan plain, to protect the farms against heavy floods of Karoun and also to direct ground waters. In the southern wing of the bridge there are ruins of a small room and a pillar which may be the remnants of the facilities for preserving the structure. In order to build this Bridge, Karoon was redirected. Throughout the construction process Mizan Dam was also constructed to raise the water level in order for higher level fields to also be able to be irrigated.

 

Naghsh’e Rostam_ Fars province

Naghsh’e Rostam is an archaeological site located about 12 kilometers northwest of Persepolis, in Fars province, Iran. Naghsh’e Rostam lies a few hundred meters from Naghsh’e Rajab.The oldest relief at Naghsh’e Rostam is severely damaged and dates to c. 1000 BCE. It depicts a faint image of a man with unusual head-gear and is thought to be Elamite in origin. The depiction is part of a larger mural, most of which was removed at the command of Bahram II. The man with the unusual cap gives the site its name, Naghsh’e Rostam because the relief was locally believed to be a depiction of the mythical hero Rostam.Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face. They are all at a considerable height above the ground. The tombs are known locally as the Persian crosses, after the shape of the facades of the tombs. The entrance to each tomb is at the center of each cross, which opens onto to a small chamber, where the king lay in a sarcophagus.The horizontal beam of each of the tomb's facades is believed to be a replica of the entrance of the palace at Persepolis.Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face. They are all at a considerable height above the ground. The tombs are known locally as the Persian crosses, after the shape of the facades of the tombs. The entrance to each tomb is at the center of each cross, which opens onto to a small chamber, where the king lay in a sarcophagus. The horizontal beam of each of the tomb's facades is believed to be a replica of the entrance of the palace at Persepolis.