TEHRAN – Scaffolding has been removed from the southern iwan of Qazvin’s Jameh Mosque after nearly 15 years, marking the completion of a major restoration project, the provincial cultural heritage chief said on Thursday.

Seyyed Mehdi Hosseini said the removal followed instructions from the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts during a recent visit to the site.

“The scaffolding was installed about 15 years ago to preserve and restore this part of the mosque. During this period, structural damages were addressed and conservation works were carried out,” Hosseini explained.

He said restoration included removing incompatible additions, reinforcing structures with traditional materials, rebuilding decorative vaulting based on the original design, and preserving historical layers.

According to Hosseini, the next stage will focus on the dome chamber of the mosque once related studies are finished.

The Jameh Mosque of Qazvin, also known as the city’s Friday Mosque, is among Iran’s oldest and most important Islamic monuments. Built on the site of a Sassanian fire temple, its foundation dates to 807 CE under Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid.

Today the mosque is recognized as a prime example of a four-iwan courtyard plan, with a central yard of about 4,000 square meters. Situated 150 km northwest of Tehran, Qazvin served as the Safavid capital for more than four decades in the 16th century.

Hosseini said the mosque, which is being considered for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, remains central to both the city’s cultural identity and ongoing conservation efforts.

Situated some 150 km northwest of Tehran, Qazvin was the capital of the Safavid Empire for over forty years (1555–1598) and is nowadays known as the calligraphy capital of Iran. The city has sometimes been of central importance at major moments in Iranian history. It was initially founded by Shapur I (r. 240–270), the second ruler of the Sasanian Empire. It was refounded by Shapur II (r. 309–379), who established a coin mint there. Under the Sasanians, Qazvin functioned as a frontier town against the neighboring Daylamites, who made incursions into the area.

Qazvin was captured by invading Arabs around 644 CE and destroyed by Hulagu Khan in the 13th century. In 1555, after the Ottoman capture of Tabriz, Shah Tahmasp (1524–1576) made Qazvin the capital of the Safavid Empire, a status that Qazvin retained for half a century until Abbas the Great moved the capital to Isfahan in 1598. Today, it is a provincial capital that has been an important cultural center throughout its history.

AM