Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque, at 12 Mesrop Mashtots Avenue in central Yerevan, Armenia, is the only functioning mosque in the city and a rare surviving example of Persian-era architecture in the capital. It was built in 1766 under Hussein Ali Khan, the Persian governor of the Erivan khanate, and was one of several mosques in the city in the 18th century. The complex originally contained a library, a madrasa, and 28 rooms for students, around a courtyard with gardens. After the Soviet takeover the mosque was closed to worship and used as a planetarium and a museum of the city, and it gradually deteriorated. Many other mosques in Yerevan were demolished or repurposed. In the 1990s the Iranian government supported restoration, and the building was reopened and now serves the Iranian community and Muslim residents. The mosque is named for the glazed turquoise and blue tiles that cover the dome and the facade, decorated with floral and geometric patterns in the Isfahan tradition. The prayer hall is rectangular and topped with a large dome, with a single minaret about 24 metres tall. The courtyard is planted with trees and contains the madrasa rooms, some of which now host a small Iranian cultural centre and a library. Visitors may enter the courtyard and, outside prayer times, parts of the prayer hall, with modest dress expected. Women are asked to cover their hair, and scarves may be available. Restoration has stabilised the structure, and the interior has been repainted, though some of the original ornament was lost during Soviet use. The mosque is a short walk from Republic Square and the Cascade, so it is easily included on a city walk. A visit typically takes about 30 to 45 minutes. It illustrates the multi-religious past of Yerevan and the long Persian presence in the South Caucasus.