Agha Bozorg Mosque in Kashan

Mullah Mohammad Mahdi Naraghi was one of the great mujtahids of Kashan city, who died at the same time as the birth of his son.According to the tradition of that time, they put the father’s name on the son. In order not to confuse father and son, the father is referred to as “Agha bozorg” and the son is called “Agha kochak”. Like his father, Agha kochak entered the field and reached the level of ijtihad.It has been narrated that Mohammad Shah Qajar met the scholars of Kashan at that time and realized the scientific rank of Agha Kochak and ordered him to be called Agha Bozhur.. After this meeting, Haj Mohammad Taqi Khanban, who was the ruler and father-in-law of Mullah Mohammad Mahdi Naraghi, built a mosque and a school for his son-in-law to teach in.The construction of the mosque was completed during the reign of Naseruddin Shah.

The architecture of Agha Bozor Mosque in Kashan

Agha Bozor Mosque and Madrasah of Kashan is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Kashan, where the grandeur of Iranian architecture can be seen well. The Agha Bozor complex of Kashan is a combination of a mosque and a school, and due to the small size of the land, it is built on several floors.The four principles of Islamic architecture have been followed in the construction of this building.One of the attractive features of the architecture of Agha Bozor Mosque is the construction of the dome on 8 huge pillars, which brings the coolness of the air in all seasons of the year.Plastering decorations, painting, moqrans work and tiling have given a beautiful effect to the mosque. But due to the type of collection, they have not been used excessively.

Different parts of Agha Bozor Mosque in Kashan

The old man’s place : The first part of Agha Bozor Mosque and school is old man’s place that refers to the platforms in front of the door. The old man’s place was used as a resting place for middle-aged people and passers-by who passed by.

Entrance and pediment: The use of pediment is not common in mosques, but it was used in Agha Bozor Mosque in Kashan and it is one of the most important parts of the building.. Above the door there is an inscription with an ode engraved on it. The main entrance is decorated with carvings, porcelain knots and studs. 6666 nails have been hammered on the door to show the number of Quranic verses.

Hashti: Hashti is a covered space that is located after the entrance of the mosque. There is a servant’s room on both sides of the vestibule. After the vestibule, there are two roofed corridors that make it possible to access the courtyard and hall of the mosque and the Agha Bozor School.

Moonlight or winter residence: The first part of the entrance to the mosque is Mehtabi. Moonlight or winter shelter is an open area and is used in winter.There are marble stones in the middle of the winter residence that let the light pass through them and in this way provide light to the lower floor.

Central courtyard: The central courtyard of Agha Bozor Mosque consists of two parts, the garden pit courtyard and the ground floor courtyard.

Garden pit yard is the courtyard of the lower floor and is dedicated to the school. This yard consists of a pond in the center and 4 gardens on its 4 sides. Around this yard, there are cells, a Shabestan(a part of mosque designd for sleeping or nocturnal paryers) and a basement .The ground floor yard or upper floor yard is at the same level as the passageways of the mosque and Agha Bozor School. There are stairs in the 4 corners of this yard to get to and from the lower floor. This yard is more like a moonlight.

Shabestan: Agha Bozor Mosque has 3 shabestans. The Shabestan of the western front was added to the building later and has 20 free columns and 30 brick arches.The winter Shabestan is located on the north side of the yard. This Shabestan has brick and stone columns.The openings in the stone covering of the building supply the light of the Shabestan. The third Shabestan is located on the south front and has a mezzanine..

This Shabestan is used as a mosque and the cracks in its roof supply the Shabestan with light.