Motalleb Khan Mosque, Khoy

🕰️When was it built?

The first building is attributed to the Ilkhanid period, but after being destroyed it was rebuilt and restored under the Qajars. The mosque's present name comes from Motalleb Khan, who played a part in rebuilding it. It was added to Iran's National Heritage List in 2002.

🏛️What was it built for?

The mosque was built for prayer and religious gatherings. The rooms and the main prayer hall are grouped together, and the upper floor had areas set aside for women. The hall being open to the sky is one of the building's features, though a temporary cover was also planned for it.

👀What you will see

• Two-storey rooms surround the large prayer hall and frame the central space.
• The tall iwan and the raised alcoves are the most prominent volumes around the hall.
• Above the mihrab, large stucco muqarnas stand out against the plainer walls.
• Inside the iwan and beside the entrance, bricks set slightly forward and back give the walls a play of light and shade.
• Stairs in the corners of the building lead to the upper-floor spaces.

💡Something interesting

Motalleb Khan is described as a descendant of Sheikh Baha'i and as Abbas Mirza's personal jeweller. His rebuilding of the mosque is why his name stayed on it. That is a separate matter from the mosque's original age; today's name is not necessarily that of its first founder.

🎒Good to know before you go