User:Abbasirany/Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque

Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque in Mashhad, on the southern edge of Nawab Safavi Street [Pain khiaban street], corner of Nawab Safavid 9th Alley, 100 meters away from the holy shrine of Razavi, in front of the Zamen Complex shapping Cinter project Mashhad-Iran is located.

This monument is located in the coordinates of 36 degrees and 17 minutes and 95 seconds and 59 degrees and 37 minutes and 15 seconds in the urban context of Mashhad. Today's presence of the building at the intersection of two important highways adds to the credibility of the physical presence of this building, especially since the type of use of the building and its antiquity have many spiritual and urban values for the texture around the holy shrine.

History and title of the monument:
second name: Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque

In the next time of this cistern -Ab Anbar-, he still remembers the role of men in black clothes who were traveling on the steps of the cistern/reservoir with musk, buckets every day to make Halal income. Today, the footsteps of these indefatigable men are remembered as a decoration on the surface of the stairs of the water cistern of the Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque. These men were called Saqqa and water-sellers. At that time, one of the vows of the needy was the vow of water. The Saqqa would offer a cup of cold water to the pilgrims and the people of the bazaar at the rate of the vows of the needy, and they heard greet of Hussein(AS). In front of the entrance of this mosque, which is located on the south side of Pain khiaban street. It was a pond installed for ablution. Therefore, the good and needy people, in order to help the comfort of the worshipers in performing ablutions, paid a sum of money to the Saqqas as a vow of water. The Saqqas filled the pond in front of the mosque with cold water every day, so that the worshipers could have access to clean water for purification without enduring the pain of going down the stairs of the mosque. The water inside the pond was protected from the surrounding pollution by a green wooden lattice fence. This fence was opened for ablution during prayers. Hence, the name of this mosque is known as Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque.

third name: Sahib Al-Zaman Mosque

In 1334 SH/ 1375 AH/1956 AD, one of the worshipers of this mosque, with the permission of the trustee and board of trustees of the mosque, Mirza Ali Fendersi requested the complete reconstruction of the mosque.

Therefore, after 120 years, this mosque will be rebuilt for the last time at the expense of this worshiper. At this time, with a sincere dream, the name of the mosque is decorated with the mosque of Sahib al-Zaman (AS). The new name of Sahib al-Zaman Mosque (AS) is on a stone inscription in this building.

Type of ownership

It is noteworthy that in the historical periods of this mosque, it has been completely renovated several times. The main plan of the mosque has never changed. According to the custom and Sharia, in the reconstruction of mosques, the wall facing the Qibla and the wall behind the Qibla should not always be destroyed in such a way that remnants of the altar and the wall behind the Qibla remain so that the mosque can be easily demarcated. And secondly, during the reconstruction of the mosque, it should not be polluted and the sanctity of the house of God should be preserved.

In 1253 AH/1838AD, after the reconstruction of Rabat Mosque, Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini dedicated two shops connected to the mosque. In 1320 SH/1360 AH/1942 AD, the endowment file of this endowment, number (M-129) 31-559, was formed in the -Oghaaf- Endowment Office of Mashhad. The water cistern/Ab Anbar/reservoir of this mosque belongs to the Safavid period. The management and maintenance of this cistern is the responsibility of the children of Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini. After the death of Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini, custodianship of a mortmain was entrusted to the eldest male, wise and understanding sons. According to the documents of the last endowment and appointment of this work, Mirza Ali Agha Fendersi was the son of Mirza Mohammad, a descendant of Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini.

This mosque is considered to be one of the Safavid period buildings and is located on a cistern -Ab Anbar- near the lower gate of Pain khiaban street on the south side of Pain khiaban''. There is also an inscription in the thuluth script on the porch of this mosque in the handwriting of Alireza Abbasi, which indicates that it was built during the reign of Shah Abbas II (30 August 1632 – 26 October 1666) by the order of Khajeh Beyk Wazir.''

According to the text of the book Mashhad at the beginning of the 14thcentury AH/11th Christian century, known as the Shahpour School, on page 110, which was written in 1313 SH/1353 AH/1935AD:

In different times, this mosque has been known by three names: first: Rabat Mosque, second: Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque and third: Sahib Al-Zaman Mosque. Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini is the son of the Jamal al-Din Mirza deceased, one of the Sadats and a generation of Jabal Amel Lebanese scholars who were invited to the Isfahan -capital of Iran Safavid dynasty - by Shah Abbas I of Safavid dynasty and the Al-Husseini family has always had the honor of a servant in the second  guard of Astan Quds Razavi in ​​the holy shrine of Razavi. Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini after the death of his father in Isfahan settled near the holy shrine of Razavi in ​​Mashhad. In 1253 AH/1838 AD, Mirza Ali Asghar al-Husseini rebuilt the old mosque of      Hows-e Robat of the Safavid period, which was located on a cistern -Ab Anbar-. In addition, he built two shops that were connected to mosque. The construction of these two shops was with the intention of doing the remnants and competencies and financing the lighting of the mosque. Then these shops, which are on the southern side of Pain khiaban street and at a distance of one hundred meters from the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) - on the side of the Fiil Mosque - were dedicated to children. It is noteworthy that this time in 184 years ago, coincided with the war trip of Mohammad Shah Qajar to capture Herat. In the lower part of the building of this mosque, there is a reservoir, which the mosque building is built on this large and unique cistern -Ab Anbar- that in the past, it was the only source of drinking water for all the residents of Pain khiaban street. Mirza Ali Asghar Al-Husseini's residential house was on the northern side Pain khiaban street in front of Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque in Mashhad Mosque.

First name: Rabat Mosque

Two hundred years ago, the Rabat Mosque was located next to one of the most important stations of the Silk Road. A large number of caravanserai in the neighborhood of Pain khiaban street, tells the story of those days in Mashhad. The eastern gate of Mashhad was located at the Herat, Tabriz and Merv intersection on the Silk Road. According to endowment documents, the original name of this mosque was Rabat or Howz-Rabat. This mosque was near the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and large caravanserais were around it. This mosque has provided the possibility of access to clean water for pilgrims and neighbors and a suitable place for performing prayers. The old mosque of Rabat was a resting place for the welfare and comfort of the worshipers, which included the pilgrims and the neighbors of Imam Reza (AS). As the meaning of the word ligament is used.

Specifications of monument:
Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque, dating back to the Safavid-Qajar period in Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashhad, Pain khiaban street, southwest side of the intersection of Pain khiaban street and Sharestan Razavi, was registered in the list of national monuments with the number 31435 dated 1st Esfand 1394 SH. [11 Jumada I-Ula 1437 AH/ 7th Feb 2016 AD]

Architectural features of Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque:

This mosque was unique considering its antiquity and having the features of Islamic architecture. According to an expert on the architecture of Iranian mosques, the plan of this mosque is similar to the historical mosque of Azghad in the southwest of Mashhad and has many similarities. Both mosques have an entrance counter. On the other hand, the influence of Jabal Amel's thought and culture can be seen in the numerous large windows that direct natural light from the Qibla into the mosque.

The construction of the mosque has a special feature in terms of being located on a Safavid period water cistern -Ab Anbar-. This feature on the other hand regulates the temperature conditions in different seasons in the water cistern/Ab Anbar, but also creates damping conditions in case of dynamic and static vibrations on the body, in other words, the damping power in this building is very high (of course when the Ab Anbar has water). The location of the mosque on the water cistern/Ab Anbar/reservoir of the Howz-e Ma'jardar, in fact, these two structures have complementary work with each other. On the one hand, the water Ab Anbar supplied the need of worshipers for high water, and on the other hand, it was considered as the second roof mosque of the water cistern/Ab Anbar/reservoir, which on the one hand prevented direct sunlight to the roof of the water cistern/Ab Anbar/reservoir and prevented increased its temperature. It also prevented the infiltration of rainfall and environmental effluents into the reservoir. The presence of worshipers in the courtyard of the mosque, which was the roof of the water cistern/Ab Anbar/reservoir, caused any damage such as holes and cracks to be detected and repaired immediately. Also, the weight of the mosque structure on the water reservoir prevented severe vibration of cistern during the earthquake and cracking of the mortar layer of reservoir wall.

The presence of Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque next to the main highway (Pain khiaban street) has caused the establishment of an important entrance for the building, which is located between the nave and the pedestrian crossing.

The main entrance in the later reconstructions has not been designed for the mosque. The interior of the nave has a single row of columns and no specific geometric system is provided for the placement of the columns. The design approach of the building and also for its placement is such that only the side of the Qibla and the entrance side are used for lighting. Therefore, the worshipers can look at the sky while praying in the nave of the mosque. West and east sides have been used to create ledges. On the east side, access to ancillary rooms and services has been created, which is evident in the plan of the mosque. The materials used in the general structure of the mosque in 1334 SH/ 1375AH/1956 AD indicate the construction of the contemporary period.

The two altars of the mosque that made this mosque famous are visible on the side of the Qibla with a distance of about three meters. One of the remarkable features of this mosque is that it has two altars, which is the only mosque with two altars in Great Khorasan. During the noon prayer, the nave of the mosque was turned into two naves with a cloth curtain. The eastern nave, which had a side nave for women, was used for pilgrims and their families. The western nave, which was only for men, was for the local bazaars of Pain khiaban street. The two altars of the mosque of Howz-e Ma'jardar were in the same direction and for the same prayer with one call to prayer and in two rows of congregation with two imams of the congregation and observing the religious distance. In the eastern nave, the traveler's prayer for the pilgrims has been broken. In the western nave, prayers were offered for the bazaars, which was a complete prayer. During the morning and evening prayers and the evening meal, the nave was not divided into two parts. Therefore, the study and antiquity of the architecture of this mosque requires special studies by Islamic architecture experts.

On the east side, access to ancillary rooms and services is provided, which is evident in the plan of the mosque. The mosque has a bathroom and a backyard which is located behind the Qibla and is part of the mosque. The roof of the mosque is multi-sided gable type and has a sheet.

Water Ab Anbar building:

Carrying out water supply project to Mashhad from Cheshmeh Gilas (Golsab) in 52 km northwest of Mashhad in the southern foothills of Hezar Masjed in Toos plain is one of the development measures of the Timurid period.

The water supply project to Mashhad was carried out by the efforts of Amir Ali-shir Nava`i, Minister of Shah Rukh Timurid. The water supply project of Cheshmeh Gilas of the Timurid period was renovated and put into operation after seventy years during the reign of Shah Abbas I Safavid (978-1038 AH/1570-1629 AD) in 1023 AH/1614 AD with the method of engineering and high supervision. This water supply project is one of the excellent engineering measures of the Safavid period. Nahr-e-shahi provided access to refreshing and clean drinking water for pilgrims and neighbors. Cheshmeh Gilas or Golsab spring water entered Mashhad from the west of Mashhad called Nahr Shahi or Nahr Khayban. Shah Abbas I ordered that no one should be allowed to use the royal river until the water of the royal river reaches the ancient courtyard in the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS). The water Ab Anbar of Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque was one of the first reservoirs in Mashhad at the Pain khiaban street, which made it possible for the public to use the water of the royal river after that passed through the ancient courtyard.

The settlement at the entrance of reservoir belongs to the Safavid era and coincides with the period of Shah Abbas II with the entrance of the mosque is very significant. The entrance arch of the building consists of a pre-arch and a semicircle, which is decorated with a combination of seven-color tiles and bricks. Water-related poems are installed on the front of the arch with brick tiles. The access route to the sprayer is a stepped string with an arch covering that leads to the water collection point. Miraab [body water distributor] access to the Ab Anbar is provided from behind the mosque (south side). Due to its subsurface, the arch of the water reservoir is of the track arch type with a combination of percussion and Roman arrangement. Hot water level from the downstream water path can still be seen on the body of the Ab Anbar. It had a capacity of about 1000 cubic meters of water. Ab Anbar space in dimensions of 10 by 8 meters indicates the high volume of water storage and the volume of drinking water consumption in this area. This Ab Anbar was completely drained and washed twice every lunar month, and then, with the coordination and management of all the locals, who supervised the cleanness of Nahr-e-shahi water along the way. At the time of dewatering, a small amount of salt and coal were added to the running water entering the reservoir for treatment. Water intake of Ab Anbar with a special ceremony including reciting prayers and wishing to use this water with happiness and health, they completed the operation of water intake of the reservoir.

Special features of the mosque:

1- Neighborhood value in the eyes of pilgrims

2- This is the only mosque in Mashhad with two altars parallel to each other.

3- The mosque is constructed on top of a Safavid-era water reservoir.

4- This building features inscriptions and stone carvings with the content of an endowment deed

5- The floor and walls of the water reservoir have been insulated with lime mortar.

National and historical values of the work:
- The Ab Anbar of complex was built during the Safavid period and the first year of the reign of Shah Abbas II, ie 1052 AH/1642 AD, by the order of Khajeh Amirbek.

- The water Ab Anbar of Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque was one of the first Ab Anbar s that was open to the public after the entrance of Nahr-e-Shahi down the street.

-According to what is stated in the book "School of Shahpour" in the inscription of this Ab Anbar, the date is 1052 AH/ 1642 AD, written by Alireza Abbasi, a famous calligrapher of the Safavid period.

- In the early periods of construction, the water Ab Anbar of Howz-e Ma'jardar reservoir was the supplier of drinking water to the caravanserais in Pain khiaban street, ie the initial resting places of the pilgrimage and trade caravans. The Ab Anbar of the Howz-e Ma'jardar mosque is one of the largest Ab Anbars in Iran. The water storage system in the reservoir of this complex has been very special, as lead is used in the bottom of the Ab Anbar to keep it cold. It is noteworthy that a layer of thin bricks with mortar between the lead and the drinking water of the reservoir create a thin wall that on the one hand cools the water easily and on the other hand prevents lead poisoning contamination. In 1340 SH/1381 AH/1961 AD, when Mashhad had piped water. Mashhad Municipality has filled this large Ab Anbar with soft soil because there was lead in the bottom of the Ab Anbar. To prevent environmental hazards, lead poisoning as well as this historic structure should be preserved. From the beginning of its construction until the filling of the Ab Anbar with soil, ie from the middle of the Safavid period to the middle of the Pahlavi period, this Ab Anbar was the most important source of water supply for the residents of the down street of Mashhad and the pilgrimage and trade caravans of the Silk Road.

- From 184 years ago until now, according to the available documents, the mosque "Howz-e Ma'jardar" is a mosque and for this reason it is one of the oldest mosques in Mashhad. The property of this mosque is freehold land [Malek-e-Taleq], that is, it has been considered for the mosque from the first day and it is safe from any doubts. From 1052 AH/1642 AD to the day of the destruction of this mosque, that is, 387 years, glorious daily prayers have been held every day with the help of God Almighty without interruption.

- The architecture of this mosque is special in all of Khorasan.

The entrances to the mosque start with a counter and the north and south sides of the mosque are surrounded by large windows.

- This mosque has only two altars in Khorasan

- Calling this mosque as "Howz-e Ma'jardar" is due to the existence of a pool in the past years, which had wooden railings and was used for people to perform ablutions.

- Mashhad is not an ancient city. Mashhad as an integrated city does not have a long history. About four hundred years ago, the urban development of Mashhad began. Therefore, the antiquity of this mosque with at least three general reconstructions in the formation of the city of Mashhad is very significant and can be contemporary with the history of the early season of Mashhad.

- According to the locals, this mosque has answered prayers since ancient times. The imam of this mosque has a history of offering prayers in this mosque for more than 50th  years. The caretaker of the mosque is proud that they have been the caretaker of this mosque for three generations.

- In 1314 SH/ 1354 AH/ 1935AD the Council of Ministers of the first Pahlavi period issued an instruction that four mosques in four parts of the city were designated by the municipality to hold funeral services with special criteria. The Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque at the Pain khiaban street was one of that four mosques.

- In 1314 SH (Solar Hijri calendar), the Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque played a role in the Goharshad Uprising as a center for command, coordination, and support. During this period, Mirza Ali Agha Fendereski was in charge of the Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque. Mirza Ali Agha Fendereski played an active role in the Goharshad Uprising during days of crisis and revolt. He mobilized and sent farmers from the endowed property of Nokariz in the east to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and provided extensive hospitality and food for the people in the Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque alongside the public during the Goharshad Uprising.

- In 1314 SH/ 1354 AH/ 1935AD, the Howz-e Ma'jardar mosque during the Goharshad Mosque uprising as a center of command, coordination and support of the uprising has played a role. At this time, Mirza Ali Agha Fendersi was in charge of the Howz-e Ma'jardar Mosque. He has played an active role in the Goharshad Mosque uprising by mobilizing, preparing for transportation, farmers of the Nokariz family endowment to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and Extensive catering and feeding of people in that days.

Due to its location, the Howz-e Ma'jardar mosque has been one of the important stations for the beginning of the rituals of entering the holy shrine of Razavi. Considering that Shiite scholars always visit the holy shrine of Razavi at the foot of Mubarak, that is, at Pain khiaban street.

Imported damages (pathology):
The contemporary restoration of the mosque has created favorable conditions for its structural aspects. However, the use of undesirable and unconventional elements and profiles exposed in the entrance area, as well as the presence of profiles in an exposed manner on the facade, have practically led to visual damages in this section. Clear and prominent measures for the preservation of certain historical parts of the structure have not been undertaken in regard to this mosque. Regarding the water reservoir, there are suitable structural conditions in the entrance area. The conservation needs for this section are limited to actions involving the stabilization of tile decorations and the conservation of walls, as well as delicate work. The space of the water reservoir is damaged in the roof area, necessitating localized roof conservation efforts. Supporting the sustainable condition of the roof alongside the conservation of the internal walls of the water reservoir space and the legibility of water conveying elements are considered priorities in conservation actions. Alongside protective and structural measures, inadequate access conditions to the water reservoir and the active economic activities established in the entrance area of the water reservoir are significant challenges in utilizing the water reservoir space and visiting it.

Description of the current condition of the building:

In the winter of 27th Dey 1396 SH/1st Rabi`ath-Thani 1438AH/4th Jan. 2018 AD, Howz-e Ma'jardar mosque was demolished by the mayor of Mashhad due to the renovation and improvement plan of Mashhad Municipality, and despite repeated warnings from activists and cultural heritage experts. This action was carried out under the pressure of the owners of the commercial complex adjacent to this mosque.

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