TEHRAN -- Restoration of the historical mosque of Hazrat Baqiyatullah in Bagh-e Khavas village, Varamin city, has been completed after two months of specialized work.

According to IRIB, Head of Varamin Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Mohammadreza Tajik said that with the completion of the restoration of two arched fountains in the former Abdarkhaneh (small pantry), the comprehensive restoration plan for the historical monument of the mosque has been completed.

He added that the project was implemented under the supervision of the technical experts from Tehran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, and during it, the removal of plaster, cement and additional masonry on the facade, replacement of the worn and broken bricks, collection of water facilities, brickwork jointing and strengthening of the walls and niches were carried out.

Tajik said that the mosque is one of the valuable historical and religious buildings in Varamin city, which has been registered on the country's National Heritage List, and its comprehensive restoration plan had been started in four stages in the past years.

He added that in the previous three phases, the removal of plaster and cement accumulation, the sealing and restoration of the seven arches of the Shabestan (an underground space prevalent in traditional Iranian architecture observed in mosques), the restoration of the windcatcher, and the restoration of the steps of the reservoir beneath the mosque had been carried out in recent years.

Tajik said that given the abundance of valuable historical monuments in the ancient city of Varamin and the need for many of them to undergo fundamental and periodic restorations, the implementation of the restoration plans requires the participation of the governing bodies, districts, villages, Islamic Councils, and donors to provide financial support.  “In this project, the cooperation of the Central District, village, and Islamic Council of Bagh-e Khavas village, played an effective role.”

Jameh Mosque of Varamin, Borj-e Ala ad-din, Imamzadeh Yahya, Iraj Fortress, and the Hesarak Qanat Varamin’s are among notable attractions of Varamin city.

Varamin served as Ray's main agricultural hub until the 1220s. The raiding of Ray by the invading Mongols led to a migration wave and economic growth.

Varamin became a major city as a result. The Jameh Mosque of Varamin was constructed by Yusuf Quhadhi, a vizier of Ilkhanid Abu Sa'id. Imamzadeh Shah Husayn, Imamzadeh Yahya, and Sharif Mosque are a few other noteworthy structures since this period.

Due to invasions by the armies of the Timurid Empire, Varamin began to decline at the beginning of the 14th century. Castilian traveler and writer Ruy González de Clavijo described the city as mostly deserted in 1405 CE when he was the ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur, founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire.

KD