Yerevan's unique mosque is a surprisingly imposing religious complex covering more than 70,000 sq.ft of prime land in the Center of the capital. Being an Iranian mosque, it follows the Twelver Shi'ite branch of Islam, as Shi'ism was proclaimed state religion of the Persia by the Safavid Empire from the early 16th century and on. (Photo: SasunsyDavit)
The tiny Republic of Armenia never ceases to amaze and surprise the world with its vast cultural heritage and important landmarks disproportionate to its size. The landlocked country in the Caucasus in the Highlands of biblical Mount Ararat has an area of under 30,000 km.sq. with a population of around 3 million. Since the fall of the Soviet bloc in 1991 it regained its independence and now is being discovered by visitors and investors from around the Globe.
Understandably the capital Yerevan is the magnet attracting the new investments, developments and the lion's share of all the visitors who comb the country and are left amazed by the vast variety of natural beauties and the cultural heritage that the country has to offer. Yet, quite amazingly, one if the best kept secrets of Armenia's Capital Yerevan seems to evade most tourists, even many locals.
"So you stayed at the Marriott Hotel in the city center. Did you also visit the nearby Blue Mosque?", I would ask out of curiosity.
-"What mosque? There are no mosques we know of in Yerevan" is the most frequent answer I get.
Yet this big Yerevan mosque is right there, just a few hundred feet away from Armenia's "Point Zero", the epicenter of the country: the Republic square (Hanrapetutyan Hrabarag). Moreover, It is a pretty imposing and rather pleasing complex just a heartbeat away from the Opera or the Marriott. I have literally seen thousands of photographs of every relevant and irrelevant structure and site in Yerevan. Every little commemorative palque, statue, fountain, street corner is proudly photographed by the visitors, but I have never seen one photo of this proud Mosque.
No wonder people miss this unique mosque. It is right opposite the main popular produce market on the Mashdots avenue, but it is hidden almost entirely behind rather ugly apartment buildings that surround it completely (see map below).
Yerevan's unique mosque is nicknamed "Blue", surely because of the predominant color of the entrance and the exterior tiles. (Photo: SasunsyDavit)
This only surviving mosque in Yerevan is called the the Gök mosque (Blue or Sky Blue Mosque), known or Kapuyt Mezgit (Կապոյտ մզկիթ) in Armenian. It sits on an imposing 75,000 sq.ft of land, has an inner courtyard, meeting halls as well as a theological school (madrasa). The single brick and tile laden minaret towers over the complex.
The exact origins of the mosque may be little fuzzy, but it was certainly constructed to its present dimensions in around 1764 and completed within the same decade.The mosque is said to have been commissioned under the patronage of the local Governor or ruler Hussein Ali Khan. That was of course a period of yet another Persian dominion over the eastern Armenian territories after it was taken from the Ottoman Empire. At the time Yerevan was a provincial town, probably with 20,000 inhabitants but was nonetheless influential, with the Armenian Apostolic Holy Seat at Etchmiadzin just a short distance away.
Yerevan and Eastern Armenia of course eventually fell under Russian influence and direct rule after 1827 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay, which gave Russia its modern zones of influence relative to Persia and Turkey of the day. This treaty came as a result of the Russo-Persian wars which resulted in crushing defeats for Iran. Turkmenchay is a town in the Azerbaijan province of modern Iran, where the defeated Persians signed and recognized the Imperial Russian dominion over the "Yerevan", "Nakhitchevan" and "Talish" Khanates (administrative provinces under the authority of a Khan). One of the the main results of the treaty was the establishment of the Arax river (Araz, Արաքս) as the recognized boundary between Russian zone of direct influence and Iran. This is still true today, as Arax forms the actual borders between Azerbaijan and Iran and southern Armenia.
(Click on photo to enlarge for details)
Yerevan: The Persian mosque called the Gök Jamii (Blue Mosque) can be seen as the black dot 24 in the center. Note how it is pretty much hidden by all the surrounding Apartments despite its central location. It is only one block away from the Hanraptutyun (Republic) square, the "Point Zero" of Armenia (at the center right in yellow). Marriott Yerevan, formerly "Armenia" hotel is the number 22. Next up is the Ministry of Foreign affairs.
According to some reliable sources, there were around 10 functional mosques in the Yerevan region before the arrival of the Russians. These mosques were eventually abandoned or demolished except of course the Blue Mosque. During the Soviet era, this mosque suffered the same tragic fate as most of the churches in the deeply christian tiny country of Armenia. The communists implemented extreme secular policies, forcibly closing churches and putting all religious institutions under heavy pressure. The Blue Mosque was of course no exception and was in pitiful condition as well during these communist dark ages. After the fall of the Soviet Union the mosque underwent radical and somehow controversial restoration with funding provided by the Iranian Government. Some critics argued the restorations were not truthful to the original spirit of the mosque.
The very intriguing question as to why the Yerevan Blue mosque is surrounded from all sides with apartments buildings and thus literally hidden from view except a rather modest entrance on the Mashdotz avenue? The first logical explanation would be to assume that there was a certain bigotry or conspiracy on the part of the Armenians to ''neutralize'' the Muslim Mosque from general view. In fact the encirclement of the mosque by apartment buildings is almost complete. But it is very safe to say that there was no "foul play" involved on the part of the Christian Armenians. On the contrary, care was exercised to include the whole complex in the new block without any architectural "dissections".
Armenia's capital: Yerevan in the shadow of the snow-capped heights of Mount Ararat, where it is said Biblical Noah's Ark landed escaping the Great Flood. Yerevan's modern urban plan is most obvious with this aerial view. The Ararat mountain with its two peaks has always been at the very center of Armenian history and identity and is sacred to its people. Today it lies in Turkey, just across the border. Alexander Tamanian drew the modern Yerevan city plans (bottom)
The simple explanation of the mosque's bizarre encirclement is that Yerevan underwent a major urban plan during the Soviet times. The city center was completely overhauled and redesigned, just the same way say Baron Haussman transformed central Paris arteries during the 19th century. Renowned architects (especially Alexander Tamanian) undertook the major task of modernizing Yerevan and the new general plan was executed (see Yerevan city map above for the modern design). Therefore the Blue mosque happened to fall in the middle of a new grid or block and was surrounded by new buildings along the new avenues. The blue Mosque was preserved. In any case, destroying it would have been both stupid and criminal.
Yerevan's best kept secret?: The apartment buildings completely encircle the mosque and make it almost impossible for an outside passer-by to see it, even from the major Mashdots or Khorenatsi avenues. Yet this mosque is a joy to see, appreciate and pay a visit.
When I discovered this mosque while trying to find a shortcut from the Mashdotz avenue to my hotel in the mid nineties, the exterior was being repaired by at least six workers albeit with rather primitive methods and equipments. The pace of the works seemed very slow albeit continuous. The mosque is presently functional and is an important meeting point for the local tiny Muslim population and expatriate students studying in Armenian Universities.
Is the Yerevan Blue Mosque a masterpiece in Persian Shiite Islamic architecture? Not so by any stretch of imagination. However it is a historical place of worship that deserves a visit, a photo or two and all the care the Armenian people and Government can give to this unique mosque of the Capital.
The recent referendum in Switzerland imposing a ban on the construction of minarets next to the mosques was a sure indication of the needless and somehow understandable but unnecessary and often ridiculous clashes between these two great monotheistic religions: Islam and Christianity. In this late Swiss episode many protest voices were heard, but similar attitudes of intolerance and exclusion exists all around the world. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, existing churches do not even look like actual churches from the exterior. No crosses are allowed, no visible signs such as stained glasses or statues. Same story on a lesser extent in Kuwait City, where the main Church next to the Sheraton had no cross as not to insult the locals. In some of these these countries the construction and maintenance of any Christian worship place faces more hurdles than the erection of the Great Wall of China!
The landscaping around the perimeter is a disaster, yet seemingly "normal" and somehow acceptable for that part of the world. Fortunately, the "exotic" charm of this mosque is not lost. The brick minaret with staggered patterns is typical of Persian-Mesopotamian traditions.
The Saudis, for example, have imposed a series of non surmountable pre-conditions effectively banning any church constructions. At the core of all this is their insistence that the Catholic church in particular somehow "recognize the prophet Mohamed", even though unclear in what exact capacity. Such conditions are vague and poisonous. Essential human rights and the freedom of all people to practice their faith freely must be beyond any ridiculous restrictions from all sides. The same is true to the Muslim communities that may suffer unnecessary conditions, harassment, discrimination and exaggerated sets of rules and regulations here and there.
In this day and age when religious intolerance is growing like a cancer both in East and West, the World deserves more positive winds of openness, goodwill and a minimum of tolerance. Armenians have had major issues with peoples acting in the name of Islam. Armenians have suffered immensely and have paid the ultimate price of abuses perpetrated against them in the name of religious correctness. This is the reason why the recent restoration and the preservation of this Blue mosque in the middle of Yerevan should serve as an example of tolerance and respect towards minorities to others. Armenian churches are crumbling both in Turkey and even in Christian Georgia (Capital: Tbilisi), where the central government has to come clean and act responsibly towards its minorities.
In any case, it is very clear that Yerevan is a richer place with this Blue mosque than without it.
The Blue Mosque mosque complex from the back oozes Persian architectural forms, even though not in its purest forms. The finishing is rough, but functionality and cost cutting consideration obviously have prevailed. The Yerevan mosque should not be confused with the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, the incredible "Sultanahmet" with its six minarets, an architectural masterpiece of the highest order. Another famous "Blue mosque" of course is in Tabriz (Iran) which was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1779 and only recently mostly repaired.
Minimalistic approach: The interior of the Yerevan Blue Mosque is beautiful in its simplicity yet lacks the "wow" factor. No interior tiles or typical Islamic calligraphy in this part. The Mihrab (the niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca) and the Minbar (the pulpit with stairs for the Imam's sermon) are very simple and functional. The carpet has patterns marking individual worshipers allocated floor space and prayer direction.
©Krikor Tersakian, Dec. 2009
Editor's notes:
- Note: Armenia has very rich historical monuments and can be regarded as an open air museum. Day trips from Yerevan can take the visitors to almost all destinations. Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion in AD 301. Thousand year old churches, Stone crosses (Khatchkars) and other monuments are there to be discovered and awe any visitor. Since the fall of the Soviet Union it is an independent state again and an emerging democracy. Three sites in modern Armenia are included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, having outstanding universal value and meeting the tough selection criteria. Links to the UNESCO website:
- Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin
- Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
- Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley
Photo: Geghard or Keghart rock-carved monastery
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