Tarikhaneh Mosque
مسجد تاریخانه
General information
Type	Mosque
Architectural style	َEarly Islamic
Location	Damghan, Semnan Province, Iran
Address	Mutahari St., Damghan
Coordinates	36°9′51″N 54°21′15″E / 36.16417°N 54.35417°E / 36.16417; 54.35417
Owner	Government of Iran

The Tarikhaneh Mosque (Persian: مسجد تاریخانه; also variously rendered as Tarikhana Mosque or Tarikh Khana Mosque), is a historic monument located on the southern limit of the present day city of Damghan, Iran.

"Tarikhaneh" is derived from tari ("god") and khaneh ("home"), thus meaning "god's home".^[1]

The chronology of the building's construction is not well-documented.^[2] Based on its very close similarities with earlier Sassanian architecture, it is likely from the first centuries of Islamic rule, possibly in the 8th century.^[3][4][5] Some scholars have suggested that is overall form and style corresponds more to the 9th century.^[2]

The main plan consists of a square courtyard which is surrounded by arcades of barrel vaults supported by slightly pointed fired brick arches set on thick circular pillars, typical of Sassanid architecture.^[6] The pillars are 3.5 meters tall and almost 2 meters in diameter.^{[7][page needed]} The hypostyle prayer hall consists of several naves or aisles divided by arcades and covered by vaults, with the central nave being larger than the others.^[8]

Standing together at a distance from the mosque are the remains of a square column of uncertain date, possibly part of the original construction period and a cylindrical minaret.^[9] The latter was built sometime in the years 1026 to 1028.^[9][8][10] It resembles the style of later Seljuk minarets.^[8] The minaret is 4.2 meters in diameter; its top has fallen, but originally it must have measured more the 30 meters high, with a gallery supported on muqarnas corbels.^[9] The tower is strikingly divided into six zones of ornamentation, each rendered in brick with a different geometric pattern. An inscription at around mid-way up the tower records that its construction was commissioned by the local governor, Abu Harb Bakhtyar ibn Muhammad.^[9]

• 
  View from the courtyard to the prayer hall
• 
  Columns and arches of the prayer hall
• 
  Vault over the central nave of the prayer hall
• 
  The minaret

• Wikimapia Entry
• Tarikhaneh Images
• [1]

Media related to Tarikhaneh at Wikimedia Commons