Jame Mosque in Kashan

Jame Mosque is one of the oldest building in Kashan and its construction dates back to Seljuq dynasty. Archeologists believe that it was a fire temple before Islam, but later it was returned to a mosque. Recent excavations have led to discoveries of some decorations and mosaic works that date back to Buyid dynasty. Jame Mosque has two altars, one which was deliberately destroyed because it didn’t show the right direction of the Qibla (according to cultural heritage experts), and people of that time believed that it was constructed by non-believers, therefore; another altar has been built. Though the public believes that the first altar shows the direction of Jerusalem, where there was the first Qibla of Muslims, and when the Qibla was changed in the second year of emerging Islam, consequently the altar was destroyed. This mosque features a brick room, Maqsurah (an enclosure near the mihrab), a porch under the dome, a vast courtyard, three Shabestans and a brick minaret that is situated on the southeast of the mosque. Simplicity and lack of any decoration and luxury material have made this mosque different from the other mosques of the city.