Persian Fallow Deer
Photo by Jiri Prochazka/Shutterstock

Being located in the world arid and semi-arid belt on the one hand and having the properties of African, South Asian, Central Asian and European climates on the other hand led to the genesis of various species in wildlife of Iran.

Mammals

Up to now, more than 197 species of mammals have been identified in Iran which can be classified into 10 orders and 37 families. The order of rodents with 58 species are the most populated species of mammals in wildlife of Iran. A few salient species of Iranian mammals are Tupaia minor, Megabats,  Caspian seal, Black bear, Lynx, Caracal, Cheetah, Leopard, Red deer, Persian fallow deer, Roe deer, Persian onager and Porcupines.

Iran Wildlife
Infographic by Farzaneh Abangar

Birds

Birds are the biggest animal species in Iran and there are approximately 540 species of birds in Iran. The birds are classified into 22 orders and 78 families. As approximately three-quarters of Iran is covered with arid and semi-arid lands, the largest population of Iran’s birds inhabit in these areas and the most significant species of these areas are Cream-colored Courser, Bustard, Pleske’s ground jay, Spotted sandgrouse, Alaemon alaudipes and Trumpeter Finch. Almost half of the Iran’s birds are migratory and use the waterbody of Iran as their winter habitat or temporary resorts while migrating from one place to another. Annually, millions of birds migrate from north to south and from east to west of Iran.

Reptiles

With 225 species (77 species of snakes, 136 species of lizards, 10 species of turtles and crocodiles and amphisbaenia – each having one specie), the reptiles of Iran can be considered as the biggest group of vertebrates. Although Iran constitutes 3% of Asia area, it is the habitat of only 10% of the whole reptiles in this continent. From among them, more than 40 species of reptiles are in Iran. Marsh crocodile and hawksbill sea turtle are the most famous ones.

Amphibians

There are 27 species and subspecies of different amphibians including frogs, toads and salamanders and Kaiser’s spotted newt and Persian brook salamander are the most well-known species.

Fish

There are 160 species of fish in internal waters of Iran which can be grouped into 29 families. With respect to area and variety of aquatic ecosystems of Iran, fish are divided into three main categories including the fish of Caspian Sea, fish of internal waters and fish of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. In the group of internal waters, the Cyprinidae is the dominant family with 31 genera and 74 species.

Insects

In this category, about 4 million samples have been collected out of which 25 thousands of them have been identified and named. Butterflies are the most considerable category of the insects in Iran.

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Iranian (Pleskes) Ground Jay
Photo by Hamed Mousavi

Birdwatching is a popular branch of ecotourism in the world which has attracted a considerable attention in Iran since some years ago. Although it is a new branch in Iran, birdwatching as a branch of tourism has a great potential to develop since Iran benefits from a huge variety of climates and habitats and hence various species of birds can be found there. Though Iran cannot be compared with countries like Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, … in terms of endemic species, the number of its bird species reaches up to 555 types which is almost equal to more than half of the birds in the whole Europe continent. The geographical situation of Iran has become a favorite region for the birdwatchers.

Climate of Iran

Based on animal geography, six types of climates have been identified in the earth with respect to animal species. Geographically, Iran is located in a special region and maybe it can be stated that it is one of the few countries whose nature benefits from three animal- geographical regions. These regions which are called Palearctic, Afrotropical or Ethiopian and Oriental have provided an opportunity through which the birdwatchers can watch different species in one border i.e. European species in the northern hemisphere, African species in southwestern regions and Indian species in southeast of the country. The variety of the climates makes birdwatchers travel to Iran from all over the world to increase their records by visiting birds of Iran. For example, the central and southern regions of Iran can be attractive to a European birdwatcher and northern hemisphere and center of Iran to an African birdwatcher. The birdwatchers who come from Australia and North America continents will face new species of birds in Iran. Hence, it can be concluded that Iran has an acceptable potential for attracting birdwatching tourists. Besides, Iran is a path for the migration of some birds that move from Africa to north of Europe and Siberia and hence they spend some time in Iran (during late summer till the beginning of autumn and late winter till the beginning of spring), and the birdwatchers can see these species as well if they are in Iran during the mentioned periods.

Birdwatching, Iran
Photo by Hamed Mousavi

Variety of Habitats in Iran

Iran enjoys a high variety of habitats and the availability of different habitats like mountainous, arid and semi-arid, forests, beaches, seas and wetlands made Iran a country with high capacities in the field of birdwatching.

The central areas of Iran are arid, semi-arid and desert regions wherein some species including the only endemic species of Iran i.e. Iranian (Pleskes) Ground Jay is living. Some other species like Macqueen’s Bustard, Cream-Colored Courser, Desert Wheatear, Desert Lark and etc. belong to these habitats as well.

Mountainous regions are among the other habitats which are significant in the field of birdwatching in Iran. The mountains of Zagros and Alborz are the habitats of many animal species including birds. In Iran, there are several peaks whose heights are above 4000 meters and some species of birds like Alpine Chough and Caspian Snowcock lay their eggs in the height of more than 3000 meters. The other species of this habitat are White-winged Snowfinch, Ring Ouzel, Alpine Accentor, Horned Lark and etc.

The forest regions including northern mountains (Hyrcanian forests), west and a part of southwest of the country (oak forests) are important habitats for some of the species which are inhabiting in these forests. The species which can be found in these regions are Horned Lark, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, many kinds of Thrushes, Tits and Finches.

In deep plains of southwest of Iran there are some birds which are totally different from the birds seen in other regions of Iran. The climate is warm and humid. The unique species of these regions are Iraq Babbler, African Darter, Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Nightjar and Basra Reed Warbler.

Birdwatching, Iran
Photo by Sara Arab

On the other hand, in southeast of Iran some species like Sand Lark, Sind Woodpecker, Oriental white-eye warbler and Great Stone Curlew can be found.

Iran’s scope is from Caspian Sea in north to Oman Sea and Persian Gulf in south and their beaches are appropriate habitats for aquatic birds and the birds that are living near beaches. In these beaches the birds like Dalmatian pelican, cormorant, herons, egrets and gulls can be found.

Also, Avicennia forests in southern beaches of Iran are the habitat of many birds like Goliath Heron, Indian Pond Heron, Crab Plover, Western Reef Egret and … wherein they lay their eggs and spend their winters.

The wetlands are also another important region of birdwatching in Iran. There various kinds of wetlands in Iran and 24 wetlands have been registered in Ramsar Convention up to now which are known as international wetlands as well. These wetlands welcome many birds annually during winters and their egg-laying. Different kinds of birds whose habitats are the wetlands are White-Head Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Marbled Duck, different species of Swans and the species of Siberian White Crane which is in danger of extinction.

Iran can become one of the most important destinations of birdwatching for the tourists by having more than 105 main regions of birdwatching, international wetlands like Fereydunkenar Wetland and nature reserves like Miankaleh Wetland and Choghakhor Wetland.

Birdwatching in the Capital of Iran

Tehran province is considered as an appropriate region for birdwatching with having about 350 species of birds. Tehran as the capital of Iran is a foothill city and its north is full of mountains and the southern regions are ended in deserts. Such a geographical situation made Tehran a four-season habitat for different species of birds that migrate there during winter and spring. For example, during the whole year more than 70 bird species can be seen in Park e Shahr (literally the City Park) which is one of the oldest parks in the center of Tehran.

In the birdwatching house of this park, there are some experts who guide the visitors, this home has been established by the municipality of Tehran. On the other hand, Chitgar Lake in west of Tehran welcomes different species of birds like Grebe, Ducks and Gulls during winter.

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Jigaraki, Iranian Food
Photo by C. Na Songkhla / Shutterstock

The liver of mammals through which the bile is produced in Iranian culture is called “Jigar”. The liver and lung of cattle are called black Jigar and white Jigar respectively, both of them have edible usages. Jigaraki is one of the occupations related to traditional cooking style of the Iranian.

Based on the available photos remained from Qajar era as well as some historical sources, it can be said that the people who were occupied with this profession were initially itinerant and they were seen in crowded places of the city like bazaars, they put a barbecue in front of themselves and grilled the liver which was skewered and shouted loudly in the bazaar to sell their goods.

After a while, the itinerant sellers made small stands in front of the butcher’s or bakeries. They prepared some platforms and benches around their stands which were covered with rug or carpet to entertain their clients properly.

The shops of Jigaraki were built around the slaughterhouses due to the enthusiasm of people to serve fresh liver. The sellers put some fat on the fire to temp people by smelling it and hence they came to Jigaraki shops to server such delicious dish. Gradually, grilled heart and kidney of sheep were served along with liver.

The collection of one white liver, one black liver, one heart and two kidneys is called a set of liver (Jigar). In the past, the unit of liver was “set” but currently it is sold on kilogram basis. In addition to the liver of sheep, today the liver and heart of calf are sold in the shops of Jigaraki as well.

Jigar is mostly used as evening meal or dinner among the Iranian. In the past it was sold only along with some bread but nowadays it is severed with herb, pepper, lime, bitter orange and tomato.

Bahman Square in south of Tehran and Nazi Abad neighborhood are two main centers of selling Jigar. There are numerous Jigaraki shops in this square and it is a place for spending free time at nights for those people who are fans of this dish.

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Mat Weaving, Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by Suphatthra olovedog / Shutterstock

The oldest samples of mat weaving in Iran were used as flooring in Sialk Hills (Isfahan Province), Hajji Firuz Tepe (West Azerbaijan Province) and excavations of Shahr-e Sukhteh (meaning Burnt City in Sistan and Baluchestan Province). The samples received from Shahr-e Sukhteh demonstrate that the mats were used as a cover for the floor of graves.

Mat Weaving, Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by Feroze Edassery / Shutterstock

Mat weaving is a general term in Iran used for a number of handicrafts which are made of weaving the strands of straws; but it is worth mentioning that in a scientific categorization, each of those arts like Bamboo Baafi, Tarkeh Baafi (basket weaving), Cheegh Baafi (curtain weaving) and Kapu Baafi has a separate position in the field of handicrafts.

Mat Weaving, Bamboo Baafi – Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by APIMGSTUDIO / Shutterstock

Bamboo Baafi: it is the art of weaving all the objects made of bamboo wood.

Mat Weaving, Tarkeh Baafi – Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by Niloufar Eydizade

Tarkeh Baafi: it is the art of weaving products like basket with the narrow strands of the trees which has different names in different regions depending on the type of used strands.

Mat Weaving, Cheegh Baafi – Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by Evlakhov Valeriy / Shutterstock

Cheegh Baafi: it is a curtain made of straws and thin stems of the trees used in the walls of nomads’ tents.

Mat Weaving, Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by Elena Tolmach / Shutterstock

Kapu Baafi: the central fresh stems of palm trees are woven around date palm leaves and are decorated with colorful yarns which lead to the formation of sphere-like objects that may have lids too.

The mat products can be classified into different groups depending on their usages: flooring, building materials, curtain and parasol, different dishes, tablecloth, hat, and eventually accommodation.

It is interesting to know that in some regions of Iran, mat is used in building the accommodations. The two most frequent kinds of these accommodations are called Kapar and Mozif.

Mat Weaving, Kapar – Iranian Handicrafts
Photo by Pe3k / Shutterstock

Kapar: it is a temporary shelter which is mostly observed in Balouchestan region, it has a hemispheric shape and is made of strands and leaves of date palm. Its other name is Loog.

Mozif: it is an inn mostly common among the Arabs of South of Iran especially in Khuzestan province. It is a rectangular room for serving the guests and also a place for gatherings of the men who want to be out of home space. Architecturally, it is a crescent house which is completely made of straws and the floor is covered with carpet.

Today, mat has a wide range of applications in the daily lives with its various designs, shapes and colors for decorating houses, furniture, bags, shoes, cloths, curtains and etc.

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Chelow Kebab, Iranian Food
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Different kinds of kebab are among the most well-known Iranian dishes, when it is accompanied with rice, it is called “Chelow Kebab”, this dish can be observed in the menus of all Iranian restaurants because of its popularity.

Chelow is a regular type of rice which is boiled and rinsed and can be served with different kinds of stew and kebab. The history of what is presently known as Chelow Kebab dates back to 17th century onwards and it cannot be traced in earlier eras, of course baking various kinds of kebab was common in previous eras as well.

Chelow Kebab, Iranian Food
Photo by Nauris Kreslins / Shutterstock

Chelow Kebab has different kinds whose variety depends on its taste and form. The most well-known kinds of Chelow Kebab are Chelow Kebab Koobideh, Chelow Kebab Barg, Chelow Kebab Soltani, Chelow Kebab Hosseini and Chelow Kebab Chenjeh.

Chelow Kebab, Iranian Food
Photo by Marjan Photo/ Shutterstock

One of the most important factors in preparing Iranian Kebab is to marinate the meat with onion, lime juice and some seasonings for some hours and even sometimes for some days, this marinated meat is called “stale meat” and delicious and delectable kinds of kebab is the result of cooking kebab with this type of meat.

Chelow Kebab, Iranian Food
Photo by Caroline Saeed/ Shutterstock

Kabab Koobideh is the most popular one and it is the cheapest one as well which is invented by the Iranian for the first time. It is served both with bread and chelow. Basil, serrano pepper, grilled tomatoes, sumac, doogh (a cold savory yogurt-based beverage that is mixed with salt), strained yogurt and different kinds of torshi (pickled vegetables) are the garnishes which are constantly used with Kebab Koobideh.

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Fritillaria Imperialis – Iran Phytogeography
Photo by Farid Sani / Shutterstock

There are various plant species in Iran due to having vast area and different climatic conditions. Geophytographically, Iran is divided into three huge vegetative regions including Europe- Siberia, Irani- Toorani and Sahara- Sind. Besides, it is geographically divided into four regions of Khazari (Caspian), Zagros, Irani- Toorani and the shore of Persian Gulf.

Khazari Region

it includes the plain lands of the coasts of Caspian Sea and some mountainous parts of Alborz which is covered with large-leaf jungles and mountainous meadows. Being away from the frost period, here you can see the species which no longer exist in other countries from among them it can be pointed out to Quercus Castaneifolia, Parrotia Persica, Populus Caspica, Gledistcha Capsica and Taxus Baccata. There is a unique and intersting species in this region which is called Lilium ledebouri, it is grown very limitedly in Rudbar region and is under protection, it has been registered nationally as well.

Avicennia marina (Harra Forest) – Iran Phytogeography
Photo by Sama.GH / Shutterstock

Zagros Region

this region is known with its oak forests. It is covered with snow during the winter because of having cold weather conditions. The main plants of this region are Quercus Brantii, Fraxinus Rotundifolia, Acer Monspessulanum and Crataeguas Spp. But the most gorgeous plant of this region which annually attracts many tourists is called Fritillaria Imperialis. The main feature of this plant is the short time of its flowering.

Irani- Toorani Region

it is divided into two parts in terms of height: the plain part which is from mountains of Khorasan to Zagros Mountain and then reaches Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. The vegetation of this region is Artemisia. The mountainous part of the region includes the southern slopes of Alborz, the eastern hillside of Zagros and the mountains of Iranian Plateau. The commonest species are Onobrychis, Acanthophyllum, Astragalus, Calligonum Persicum, Ungernia Flava, Berberia Khorasanica and Pteropryum Aucheri.

The Shore of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea

it includes the coastal parts of south of Iran and is covered with date palm, Acacia and Jujube and Avicennia marina (Harra Forest). The vegetation in northern parts of Persian Gulf shore and Oman Sea is variable. In the parts with the highest raining amount, Medicago, Gramineae and Leguminocae are grown and around Oman Sea, Nannorhops, Acacia Ehrenbergian, Rhzya Dtricta, Prosopis Cineraria and T.stricta are mostly seen. One of the most famous plants of this region is Zhumeria which is in danger of extinction because of wasteful harvest, this plant has numerous medicinal and therapeutic properties.

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Turkman Nomad, Iran

Photo by Ahmad Agh

The Turkmens of Iran are from Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia who inhabit in northeast of the country. They speak the Turkmen language and they are mostly Sunni Muslims. It is believed that by the advent of Islam in Iran, the Turkmens were the first group who converted to Islam and when they were asked to introduce themselves, they said we are “Turk Man” of “Turk Iman” (the words “Man” and “Iman” are Arabic words meaning “faith”) and their name gradually changed to “Turkmen”. Till the beginning of the 20th century, they had nomadic life style but later they started living in counties and towns.

They are mostly inhabiting in southeast of Caspian Sea and Turkmen Sahra. Their settlement is mostly in Golestan province, the borderline of the north of Razavi Khorasan province, Torbat-e Jawm and North Khorasan province. The most important cities of Iran wherein the Turkmen are inhabiting in are Bandar Turkaman, Gonbad-e Kavus, Kalaleh, Aqqala, Gomishan and Incheh Borun.

Turkman Nomad, Iran
Photo by Ahmad Agh

With respect to their nomadic life style, the Turkmens are mainly occupied with husbandry and can train horse, sheep and camel professionally. Their habitats are gazebos which are called “Ovi”. They have a wooden skeleton and are surrounded by straws. Setting up the Ovi is a difficult job which is done by women. The oldest women of a family covers the ceiling of the Ovi with a felt.

The handicrafts of the Turkmens are carpet weaving, needlework and making traditional jewelries. The Turkmen carpet, especially double-sided silk carpets, are globally known and each of them has various designs and specific name. Needlework of the Turkmens is a delicate art which is used in decorating the collar, hem of the trousers and the ring which is used by the Turkmen women after getting married, the ring is called “Anna” and is worn under their scarf.

The literature of Turkmens has a long history and has been verbally transferred to the next generations, the most important part of their literature is the “nursery rhymes”. It is pointed out that the Turkmen women come out of the Ovi at nights, gather together and sing songs, this action is called “Laleh-Khani” which is an important part of their literature. It has several kinds and while performing it, the women hit their chin and neck to make it more tragic.

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Khatam
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Khatam is a noble and antique handicraft of Iran which is the art of decorating surfaces of the objects with small triangles made of ceramics. Its various designs consist of regular geometric shapes. These geometric shapes are formed through putting the small triangles next to each other. The triangles are made of various kinds of wood, metal and bone. The more delicate and tinier are the triangles, the more valuable the Khatam would be. In the plan of a Khatam, the smallest geometric unit consists of at least three triangles and the biggest one consists of at most four triangles. The value of Khatam is determined by the attention and care which is paid by the master who prepares it, the elegance which can be perceived only through a sensitive look.

Khatam
Photo by Anna Rogal/ Shutterstock

On the other hand, various woods like ebony, walnut tree, jujube, betel, cypress and pine and other objects like shell, special kind of yarn, glue and solvent are used in making Khatam. Khatam was previously used to decorate the tombs, doors of religious and non-religious buildings, rostrums, rehal of Holy Quran, chairs, tables and other objects like mirrors but today it is mostly used on decorative objects.

Khatam
Photo by Artography / Shutterstock

Some of the Iranian Khatam works remained from various historical eras can be seen in some buildings like Atiq Mosque of Shiraz and doors of Mirror Hall in Golestan Palace in Tehran. There are also some other works which are kept in Iran National Museum.

Khatam
Photo by Aleksandar Todorovic / Shutterstock

Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran are the most important centers of making and selling Khatam.

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Ghormeh Sabzi, Stew (Khoresh)
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The history of cooking stew in Iran dates back to a long time ago and in the cookbooks remained from Safavid Dynasty, the recipes of several kinds of stews can be found. The common characteristic of all the Iranian stews is the existence of meat along with bean, vegetables and herbs. It is worth mentioning that the stew made of chicken, instead of meat, is called “Mosama”.

Among the most popular and national Iranian stews are Ghormeh sabzi, Gheimeh and Fesenjān. There are some stews which are cooked seasonally like quince, pumpkin, rhubarb, Cirsium vulgare and okra. There are some native stews like Almond Slices Stew, cabbage stew and Gheimeh Nesar (a kind of stew with almonds and fried onions; a specialty of Qazvin province).

The diversity of stews in Iran is very high and one specific stew can be cooked in various ways depending on the tastes of the people and different seasonings used in with the aim of marinating the stew and removing extra fat.

It is interesting to know that some stews are ritually used in Iran, Gheimeh is the most important one of them which is mostly used in mourning ceremonies of Muharram.

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Tah Dig (Scorched Rice)
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Dig is a Persian word which means a pot for cooking foods and hence the crunchy thin layer at the bottom of it which is formed while cooking rice is called Tah Dig. Tah Dig can be made of any food stuff but the commonest one is rice which is made at the bottom of pot with water and large amount of oil and then half-cooked rice is added on it. There are some other items which can be used as alternative to make Tah Dig including Lavash bread, potato, lettuce, chicken wing, eggplant, tomato, broad bean and lettuce, pumpkin, herbs and grape leaves. Of course, Tah Dig in not only limited to cooking rice, it can be seen in the foods like macaroni and dolma as well.

In order to have a more fragrant Tah Dig, the Iranian add brewed saffron, powdered cardamom and cinnamon at the bottom of the pot. The best and most desirable Tah Dig is the one which is completely separated from the bottom of the pot and does not miss its shape, it is called “Ghelefti Tah Dig” which is very appetizing. The leftover Tah Dig is called “Bayyat” (stale).

Tah Dig is served in a separate plate and people add some stow on it to be softened.

Benjamin, the first American Minister in Iran and author of the book “Iran and the Iranian” pointed out to the concept of Tah Dig is his book. In her book, Persian women and their ways, Colliver Rice points out that Tah Dig is a very delicious part of the Iranian rice which is put in a tray to be served.

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Chelow Kebab
Photo by Velveteye / Shutterstock

Rice is a significant edible grain among the Iranian. There is not exact information regarding the history of rice consumption in Iran. Some historical sources mentioned that rice is an imported cargo from China. Many of the sailors and orientalists who were in Iran during 18th to 20th centuries pointed out that rice is an important agricultural product in Iran, especially in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces and named Polow and Chelow as national foods of Iran.

In culinary culture of Iran, there are two terms regarding the cooking of rice namely “Polow” and “Chelow”:

Chelow: a plain rice in which no other ingredient is added, it is served along with stew or kebab e. g. Chelow Fesenjan (a stew made of pomegranate paste and walnut) and Chelow Kebab.

Polow: it is a kind of cooked rice mixed with herbs, fruits and nut, beans and so on. The prepared rice is named based on what has been added in it, for example Sabzi Polow (herb and rice), Reshteh Polow (Iranian noodle and rice) and Adas Polow (lentil and rice).

Different kinds of Iranian Polow are classified as below:

• Polow mixed with beans like Adas Polow (lentil and rice), Mash Polow (mung bean and rice) and Loobia Polow (green bean and rice).
• Polow mixed with herbs like Nokhod Polow (green pea and rice), Havij Polow (carrot and rice), Sib Polow (potato and rice) and Kalam Polow (cabbage and rice).
• Polow mixed with fruits and nuts like Keshmesh Polow (raisins and rice), Albaloo Polow (sour cherries and rice), Ajil Polow (nuts and rice) and Morasa Polow (jeweled rice).
• Polow mixed with other ingredients like Reshteh Polow (Persian noodle and rice).

Sometime, the ingredients like cooked and chopped meat and chicken are added to these foods. Also, in some cases the raw meat or chicken is put between the layers of the rice to be cooked with steam.

The main characteristic of Iranian Polow is to cook a fluffy rice with the rice grains separated and not sticky.

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Partico of Kaboud Mosque (Blue Mosque) – Tabriz Province, Iran
Photo by Tappasan Phurisamrit / Shutterstock

Mosque is a holy place where Muslims worship God and it is also one of the most important buildings in Islamic architecture of Iran. The first mosques had a very simple architecture and they were mainly built in a square or rectangular shape whose walls were made of clay and the direction of mosques was toward Qibla.

Based on the archeological and historical researches, the oldest mosques of Iran are Shush Mosque and Jameh Mosque of Fahraj. The simple plan of mosques include minaret and semi-dome. The second oldest mosque of Iran is Tarikhaneh Mosque in Damghan city which was built at the beginning of 10th century. Shiraz Jameh Mosque, Jameh Mosque of Nā’īn and Neyriz Mosque in Fars Province were built during 10th and 11th centuries.

Seljuq Dynasty (11^th and 12^th centuries) is known as a time when mosque building flourished in different cities of Iran, there are some mosques made of bricks which can be considered the mementos of this era. They followed some of the instructions of Sassanid era such as Four-Iwan design (Chahar Iwani) in mosque building. Some of the mosque built in Seljuq era are Jameh mosques of Isfahan, Ardestan, Bersiyan, Borujerd, Ardabil.

Jam-e Mosque of Yazd – Yaz Province, Iran
Photo by Leonid Andronov / Shutterstock

The construction of huge buildings with their large domes became common in Ilkhanate Era (13^th and 15^th centuries) which can be abundantly observed in the architecture of the mosques. To make the buildings more attractive, they decorated the facades with long and thin frames and sharp crescents. The Jameh mosques of Yazd, Varamin and Oshtorjan were built in this era.

Timurid Empire (14^th century) witnessed the flourishment of decorating mosques with tiles. The mosques were mainly built using Four-Iwan methods with tall iwans and portals having beautiful muqarnas. Building domes which were like Kulah Khud (the helmets used in ancient western Asia for battle which were bowl-shaped and pointed) was one of the salient characteristics of this era. The most significant and famous mosques of this era were Goharshad (Mashhad), Blue (Tabriz) and Jameh mosque of Kashan.

Blue Mosque in Tabriz is an indoor mosque without any yard, it is called turquoise of Islam.

The glory and resplendence of architecture and specially mosque building in Iran was observed in Safavid Dynasty (16^th – 18^th centuries). Some instances of the mosque in this era are Imam (or Shah) Mosque and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. In this era, the patterns used for mosque building were Four-Iwan design and large domes.

Kabud Gonbad Mosque (in Sarakhs) and Vakil Mosque (in Shiraz) are the memorials of Afsharid and Zand dynasties (18^th century).

Mihrab of Nasir Ol Molk Mosque – Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by NICOLA MESSANA/ Shutterstock

Although the traces of Safavid mosque building style can be observed in Qajar Dynasty (18^th century), it is not as glorious as theirs. Also, the European art and decorations were used in this era. Imam Mosque of Semnan is an absolute example of Four-Iwan mosque which is a representative of Qajar architecture as well. Some of these examples are Shah Mosque (Tehran), Sepahsalar or Motahari Mosque (Tehran), Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (Shiraz) and Agha Bozorg Mosque and school (Kashan).

It is interesting to know that Now or Atabak Mosque in Shiraz and Ard-Khorma (Flour and Date) Mosque in Ardakan are the largest and smallest mosques of Iran respectively.

Iranian Architecture Infographic / Historic Imam Mosque – Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
Photo by Alexandre Rotenberg / Shutterstock
Infographic by Negar Ganji

Components of a Mosque

All the mosques have some common components regardless of their construction style including: Courtyard, Iwan (a rectangular hall), Portico, Minaret, Dome, Shabestan (an underground space) and Mihrab (semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the Qibla). Each of these components can be removed from the components of a mosque except Mihrab which is the most important part of a mosque and shows the direction of Qibla.

Courtyard

courtyard or “Sahn” is a common element in religious buildings and residences, used in urban and rural settings which is called Mian Sara as well. The Iwan is located around Mian Sara.

Iwan

it is a sitting room which is higher than its surrounding spaces and is usually built in the exterior parts of the buildings. The Iwan of Iranian mosque is usually decorated with muqarnas.

Portico

it is an indoor space having pillars which is built between two sides of courtyard or Mian Sara of the mosque. Its entrance is opened to courtyard and connects the entrance of the mosque to the Shabestan.

Minaret

the first minaret was built in 10th century. It was primarily built as a single construction but later, it became a paired element in the architecture of the mosques.

Dome

the hemispherical ceilings in the traditional architecture of Iran which are decorated with bricks or tiles.

Mihrab

it is a semicircular niche in the wall of mosque which indicates the Qibla and is the turning point of a mosque.

Shabestan

it is an indoor space with uniform and parallel pillars which is connected to the courtyard of the mosque wherein people can say prayers. Some of them lack pillars.

Shabestan of Vakil Mosque – Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by javarman / Shutterstock

Different Iranian Mosques

Generally, there are two kinds of mosque in Iran: the mosques with Shabestan or with Iwan, of course, the crucial role of Chahartaqi mosques (an architectural unit consisted of four barrel vaults) cannot be ignored.

Shabestan Mosques

different parts of these mosques are an indoor area next to Qibla, central yard and platforms.

Chahartaqi Mosques

the mosques having a quadrilateral plan and domical ceiling including four pillars and a domical vault are called Chahartaqi mosques.

Iwan Mosques

in 11th century, using pillars was no longer common and the architecture style changed from Shabestani to Iwan design. Iwan is a component which is used in this style and the mosques are named based on the architectural style and number of Iwans used in building them e.g. One-Iwan, Two-Iwan, Four-Iwan and the combination of Chahartaq and Iwan. In Two-Iwan mosques, the Iwans were built in front of each other.

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