Iran: Taj Al-Mulk dome at Isfahan’s Jameh Mosque in ‘critical condition’

The Taj Al-Mulk dome chamber within Iran’s iconic Jameh Mosque in Isfahan is at risk of collapse due to excessive moisture.

Citing a researcher specialising in restoration of historical monuments, Tehran Times reports that the condition of the UNESCO-listed site’s dome chamber its load-bearing walls has worsened due to excavation work being carried out for a metro tunnel located about 100 metres away.

Researcher Maedah Kalantari said that Taj Al-Mulk dome, which is over 1,000 years old is approximately 45 metres away from the path of Line 2 of the metro, and is exposed to upward moisture seepage. The rising moisture, caused by water penetration into the foundation walls, follows the capillary action, moving upwards against gravity, the report says.

Jameh Mosque of Isfahan ♥️ pic.twitter.com/oOBy27cj5f

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Kalantari warned that if the issue is left unaddressed, without proper restoration, pavement repairs, and provision for drainage to mitigate underground moisture, the pace of its deterioration will escalate significantly. She also said that unless the decayed bricks and mortar are replaced, the commencement of Line 2 of the metro will further accelerate the destruction of the historic dome.

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Astonishing brickwork in the dome chamber of Taj Al-Mulk, dated 1088, in the old Friday mosque, #Isfahan, #Iran #travel pic.twitter.com/ri9EPnFVTy

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In January, it was announced by the CEO of Isfahan Urban Railway Organization, Seyyed Mohsen Vaezifar, that the possibility of the metro line crossing in proximity to the Jameh Mosque will be investigated.

Of the possible options, the one deemed more favourable in terms of cultural heritage and mitigating the likelihood of damage to historical artifacts was the option of passing the metro beneath Imam Ali Square.

Also known as the Atiq Mosque, it is the oldest Friday (congregational) mosque in Iran and is thought to have been erected atop the remnants of an ancient Zoroastrian fire temple. It’s architectural and decorative styles of different periods in Iranian Islamic architecture, covering 12 centuries, most predominantly the Abbasid, Buyid, Seljuq, Ilkhanid, Muzzafarid, Timurid and Safavid eras.

Spanning more than 20,000 square meters, is also the first Islamic building that adapted the four-courtyard layout of Sassanid palaces to Islamic religious architecture.