Goharshad Mosque

Goharshad Mosque
The interior of Goharshad Mosque
Basic information
Location	Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
Affiliation	Shia
Administration	Astan Quds Razavi
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Ghavameddin Shirazi
Architectural style	Azeri
Founder	Empress Goharshad
Completed	1405–1418

Goharshad Mosque (Persian: مسجد گوهرشاد‎‎) is a former free standing mosque in Mashhad of the Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, which now serves as one of the prayer halls within the Imam Reza shrine complex.

It was built by the order of Empress Goharshad, the wife of Shah Rukh of the Timurid Dynasty in 1418 CE. The architect of the edifice was Ghavameddin Shirazi, who is responsible for so many of Shah Rukh's great buildings, with the architectural and decorative manpower supplied from Shiraz and Isfahan.

The mosque underwent some renovations during the Safavid and Qajar eras. It has four iwans and a courtyard measuring 50 m × 55 m (164 ft × 180 ft), as well as several shabestans.

The double layered dome of the mosque was severely damaged in 1911 in bombings by troops of the Russian Empire.

The first and the greatest surviving, Persian monument of the fifteenth century is the beautiful mosque of Gawhar Shad (1418) now abutting the shrine of the Imam Reza in Mashhad. Its portal continues the Samarkand style of arch within arch, enriched by a succession of bevels and reveals that give it depth and power. The thick, tower-like minarets, merging with the outer corners of the portal screen, extend to the ground and, together with the high foundation revetment of marble, give the ensemble the impression of solidity necessary to support its exuberant color. The entire court facade is faced with enamel brick and mosaic faience of the finest quality.