Yazd
A historical city which regrets never having been a capital while so many now
forgotten ones were, Yazd commermorates by unusual monuments the importance
given it by scores of scientists and thinkers in past centuries.
This building houses the tomb of Sayyed Rukn ad-Din, and its name (Mosque of the Time
and Hour) refers to an astronomical clock used within that made it one of the wonders
of its age. Set off against the dome's penetrating blue lie the earthenware colors of
Yazd's elegant and practical building.
"Mausoleum of Sayyed Rukn ad-Din"
The original construction of this Jami Mosque is attributed to the 6th century A.H. (12th
century A.D.), but the present Masjid belongs to the times of Al-i Muzaffar, i.e. 8th and 9th
centuries A.H. (14th and 15th centuries A.D.). The most important decorative achievement is
to be found in the mihrab, which is superbly ornamented with mosaic tile designs and stalactites
in several rows.
A white marble slab, installed in the vestibule of the mosque, bears the date A.H. 777 (A.D. 1375).
Thirteen other stone tablets and tile panels are also found inside the narthex, bearing different
dates from A.H. 773 to 1179 (A.D. 1371-1756) and containing texts related to endowment deeds, government
affairs and financial questions. A point worthy of note in connection with the Jameh of Yazd, is the
provision of indirect lighting by means of a mechanism which allows light to be reflected from the
plaster-covered walls and to create a luminous atmosphere throughout the monument. This goes to the
credit of the 8th century (14th. century A.D.) master masons and architects who seem to have discovered
this technique of lighting.
"Jami Mosque, portal 14th century"
The heat is blistering in the south, on the edge of the Great Desert. High chimenys acting as air-vents
bring some comfort to these dwellings.
"Dolat Abad Garden"
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