Green Mosque, 15th-century mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan.
The Green Mosque features a central dome supported by stone bases where minarets once stood, with natural light entering through strategic openings.
Construction of this religious structure began in 1419 under Timurid general Mir Mazid Arghun and finished in 1421 over the grave of Khawaja Abu Nasr Parsa.
The interior dome chamber contains a mihrab niche for prayers, while a crypt beneath houses the tomb of Abu Nasr Parsa, attracting religious visitors.
The mosque maintains regular prayer services despite structural damage, with the main courtyard serving as the primary gathering space for worshippers.
Turquoise kashi tiles, known locally as Turkish Green, cover the walls of this structure, creating its distinctive color and contributing to its name.
Location: Balkh
Inception: 1421
Made from material: lapis lazuli, brick, stone
GPS coordinates: 36.75823,66.89670
Latest update: March 3, 2025 11:09
The neo-Moorish architecture developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by European interest in oriental forms. This architectural movement combines Western building elements with Moorish decorative motifs: horseshoe arches, carved arabesques, geometric mosaics, and ornate stuccoes. This stylistic synthesis appears in a variety of structures, from places of worship to private residences, theaters, and city fortifications. The collection gathers representative examples from across Europe and beyond. In Marseille, the Alcazar Grand Theatre has displayed a façade decorated with oriental patterns since 1857. The Great Synagogue of Brussels, inaugurated in 1878, demonstrates the adoption of this style in Belgian religious architecture. In Germany, Drachenburg Castle near Bonn incorporates Moorish elements into a late 19th-century villa. The movement also reaches unexpected locations: Brighton’s Royal Pavilion blends Indian and Islamic influences for a British royal seaside residence, while rural farms in Hälsingland, Sweden, include ornaments inspired by this orientalist trend. From Pena Palace overlooking Sintra to the Justo Sierra Synagogue in Mexico city, these buildings exemplify the international spread of an architectural style that profoundly marked its period.
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