Atiq Jameh Mosque of Shiraz during the Qajar Era

Located at the old central part of Shiraz, the Jameh Mosque of the city was built under the reign of Amr-e Laith Saffari in the 3rd AH/ AD 9th century. The mosque has undergone many changes such as expansion, destruction, restoration and transformation in the course of time. The changes made to the building could not be easily distinguished. The place was as large as other famous mosques of the Islamic world in the 5th AH/ 11th AD century. In the 8th AH/ 14th AD century and at the same time with the construction of Khodāy-khāneh or Dār al-Moshaf section, it could accommodate about 1000 prayers. As iwans and other architectural organs were erected during the Safavid period, the mosque transformed into its most accomplished spatial phase, and its ornamentation increased.Besides political changes and urban development, huge earthquakes happened in Shiraz, particularly during the Qajar era, which resulted in the demolition of many buildings. The Jameh Mosque of Shiraz was no exception in these disasters.With the rise of Qajars, the mosque already bore many historical facts. Thus far, the history of the place during this period is by no means clear. Except for some few dispersed data and hints, no comprehensive study has yet been carried out on this issue. Therefore, the present essay aims to offer a coherent narrative of the mosque during the Qajar era. The objective of the research is to review documents relating to building projects done in the mosque and to give a clear view of the building in the mentioned historical epoch.Restorations and renovations made during the recent century have been so extensive that it would be difficult to search for tangible evidence; however, pictorial documents and travelers’ accounts of the place may give some insights into its former appearance and structure. Meanwhile, the role of Ebrāhim Khān Kalāntar Shirāzi, the kalantar of the city of Shiraz and later as the first grand vizier of Qajar Iran, in the process of restoration of the mosque has to be underlined.