ARDESTAN FRIDAY MOSQUE, ISFAHAN
Ardestan Friday Mosque is one of the most prominent religious buildings built across the central Iranian desert and one of the oldest examples of a four-Ivan mosque. It is the product of the fine taste, keen intellect and efforts of experienced Iranian architects in designing Friday mosques that differ entirely in their architecture from non-Iranian mosques. Archaeologists’ physical studies have made this important point clear that the initial plan of the mosque was much different from its current spatial organization. In the beginning, there existed around the central courtyard, which is the most arbitrary space in the design, four pillared prayer halls and a thick mud-brick wall which separated the mosque from the surrounding environment. It should be noted that the size of pillars and piers, the type of bricks and the stucco decorations show how the four prayer halls are not built at the same time and at least the southern prayer hall is older than the rest. The mosque is built in the middle of an old quarter called Mehal like a huge monolithic mass with a lofty dome devoid of any outer decorations and looking into the vast lush green gardens on its north. The gardens are the outward signs of several qanats constructed through the vast desert to bring water to this settlement. The mosque is built on a platform one meter higher than the ground level and measuring 43 by 54 meters. On the northern wing, a small separate complex is integrated beautifully into the body of the mosque. This complex previously served as a prayer hall and is now the madrasah of Haj Hossein Noor al-Din. Other spaces such as hosseiniyyeh, bathhouse, caravanserai, market, reservoir, and a thick brick minaret (which probably served as a landmark to guide the caravans to the city) are among the important elements that harmoniously form this unique complex and put it at the disposal of Ardestan inhabitants. In general, the vaulting and brickwork under the big southern dome and the remnants of the kufi and Thuluth inscriptions done in stucco around the prayer hall under the dome can be considered distinguished examples of Saljuk period ornamentation and counted among the artistic masterpieces of the Iranian mosques of the 11th century AD. This mosque has been built with a clear awareness on behalf of the designer of the environmental conditions of this desertic region and of the natural context of Ardestan city and with careful regard to its qualities. One of the points carefully observed in the expansion of the mosque is the dedication of a small area to the central courtyard and its limita- tion in size, the construction of the prayer hall before the Ivan and the main dome of the building on the south of the courtyard and opening it to the north in such a way that the prayer hall receives the least amount of direct sunlight and the prayers are protected against the heat. Later, through building the second floor on the northern wing and then the other facades, the central courtyard has been actually surrounded by high walls. During most hours of the day the shadows thus prevent the central courtyard from overheating. The design of a small octagonal courtyard on the most eastern point of the mosque and behind the eastern Ivan with long walls, the design and execution of the huge dome of the southern prayer hall with the height of 18 meters and in two layers are among the innovations of the architects aimed at protecting the space of the main prayer hall from hot summer and extremely cold winters. The multiplicity of blind arcades and the simple and beautiful brick porticos, which have a considerable presence on all the inner wings of the mosque as well as leaving open the path for wind on the facing facades are also among other innovations of the designers of the mosque in using clean natural energies, freshening the air, and creating more comfort for the prayers. They are signs of their intelligence, knowledge and a precise understanding of the desertic climate of central Iran.