Introduction to Imad al-Dawla Mosque
The historical city of Kermanshah is one of those provinces where countless historical mosques from different eras are built. Imad al-Dawla Mosque is one of the mosques during the Qajar rule, which is considered as one of the most valuable and glorious historical mosques in Kermanshah. This mosque attracts the attention of every viewer due to its architectural splendor and beautiful construction.
History of Imad al-Dawla
Imad al-Dawla Mosque, which carries many stories and narrations, is located in the bazaar of Kermanshah today. This mosque was built in 1285 AH by Imam Qoli Mirza Emad al-Dawla, who was one of the governors and border guards of the region during the Qajar rule.
After the construction of this mosque, Imam Qoli Mirza brought the shrine of Imam Ali from Iraq to Kermanshah and installed it as the entrance to this mosque. These days instead of that door, there is a silver one. The construction of this door dates back to the Safavid period, which is older than the building itself, which is now the entrance door of the Imad al-Dawla mosque and the goldsmiths’ market, which is known as Qapi Shah Najaf.
Architecture of Emad al-Dawla Mosque
The historic Imad al-Dawla Mosque is a valuable place in terms of architecture and religious and Islamic aspects. The mosque has four porches and a minaret. Different parts of the mosque include: entrance, platform, yard, doorway, veranda, columned nave, clock tower, room, and inner courtyard. The courtyard was built with approximate dimensions of 30 by 24 meters, around which several porches, sections, and openings have been built.
The veranda of the southern part of the courtyard is the entrance of the main nave, which is higher than the other three porches of the mosque in terms of height and has more attractive decorations that are very interesting and spectacular. Nowadays, the floor of the porch and the plinth of it are covered with marble. We can see the unique tile work at the top of the plinth in Imad al-Dawla Mosque . Also, there is an inscription in the tiled part of the porch. There we can see the name of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar and the builder of the mosque engraved next to the date of its construction, 1285 AH.
On the back of the porch, there is a door that leads to a rectangular nave. The dome and arch of the nave are located in the middle part on 14 brick columns and the side walls. In the construction of this part of the Imad al-Dawla mosque, simple bricks have been used. Even though this part is simple, the dome next to the altar in this part includes stunning decorations. There is also an altar on the south side of the nave with artistic and colorful tiles. The important thing about the nave is the light and illumination sources, which are provided through holes in the ceiling.
In the northern part of the courtyard, there is a short veranda with a clock tower on the top. The east and west porches are built quite symmetrically, around which there are several rooms. The exterior of the porch and the rooms are skillfully decorated. In the middle part of the courtyard, a pool has been built recently, which has made this part delightful.