Historical Background of the Construction of Mosques in Iran

The article examines the historical prerequisites for the development of the Iranian Islamic school of architecture. Islam was transferred to the territory of the developed Persian kingdom, with thousands of years of cultural and architectural traditions, with the powerful religion of Zoroastrianism. These traditions turned out to be so resistant to changes that they did not disappear, but in a transformed form penetrated into Islamic architecture in the territory of Iran and influenced the creation of a peculiar type of "aywan type" mosque with a modified dome "chartac" in the planning structure. The non-coincidence of historical and architectural periods is argued, three periods of mosque construction are highlighted: early, middle and high. Historical periodization of mosques in Iran does not correspond to architectural periodization, which is based on changes in the image of mosques. In particular, in the early period of the establishment of Islam in Iran in the 7th - 8th centuries. not. the influence of pre-Islamic traditions of construction and decoration is felt. There are quite a few mosques, they are dominated by constructions over decoration, interiors are monochrome. In the middle period of the 9th - 15th centuries. not. the restriction of the construction of new mosques is caused by the rule of foreigners. During this period, new structural schemes are introduced and the decor becomes more complicated. Period XVI - beginning XVIII century marked by the flourishing of the religion of Islam, which is expressed in the activation of the construction of new mosques with a more complex and developed layout and a formed hierarchy of mosques (cathedral mosques "jame", city mosques, village mosques, etc.). In all three periods, the main centers of mosque construction were Isfagan and Shiraz, through which the Great Silk Road passed.