arg e alishah
Arg e AliShah is the name of a historical citadel in Tabriz. This citadel is one of the tallest historical walls in the country and it is a symbol of the city of Tabriz. In this article Persiana Travel and Tourism Agency wants to introduce the historical Arg e Alishah. Stay with us.
Get familiar with Arg e Alishah
Arg e Alishah is one of the most famous monuments of Tabriz. It is a historical citadel that dates back to the Ilkhanid period. It was first built for the purpose of building a mosque, and then turned into a military fortress. This monument was built on the south side of Tabriz, near the city wall. It was even used as a military fortress until the Qajar period. Today it is known as one of the symbols of Tabriz among the people.
Only remnant of the south porch of the main structure of it is visible. This remnant has height of 5.33 meters. This is only a corner of the grandeur of the original Arg e Alishah.
There are different narrations about the purpose of construction of it. Some believe that the reason for its construction was the creation of a huge mosque by order of Tajuddin Alishah Gilani (the powerful minister of Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh Al-Jaito). But according to other research, the current structure of it, is not a mosque but a tomb.
It is interesting to know that, this building is the tallest brick building in Tabriz. Its porch width is 30 meters and its walls are 10.5 meters wide. It is also known as Alishah Arch and Mosque, Tabriz Citadel. The most important feature of this building, is its large arch which has a width greater than Kasra Arch. It can be distinguished easily from other historical monuments in Iran. On the 15th of December 1310, it has entered the list of national historical monuments of Iran.
History of Arg e Alishah
Arg e Alishah was built during the reign of the eighth Ilkhanid king, Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh Al-Jaito. During his reign, two very powerful and intelligent people became ministers at the same time. Both ministers did a lot to attract the attention of the king and also to register his name in history. One of these people was Khajeh Rashid al-Din, who is considered one of the most unique scientific figures in the history of Iran. He is also known as the founder of the famous Rashidi Quarter University in Tabriz.
The other person was Khajeh Alishah Gilani, who was initially considered as a famous and powerful businessman and later became a minister. After Khajeh Rashid al-Din built the Rashidi Quarter University, Alishah decided to build a larger building than this university. So, he ordered to build a very large structure be in the city.
Thus, around the date of 715 to 739 AH he ordered the construction of the citadel. This citadel supposed to be a building which is visible from all parts of Tabriz. For this purpose, the great architect, master Falaki, was hired to build a mosque in Tabriz. Unfortunately, due to his haste, the original structure of mosque was not built very strong. So, during the initial construction of it, part of the dome and its roof collapsed. Construction of it continued after this incident.
With the death of Khajeh Rashid al-Din, he has no motivation to finish the work. He did not pay much attention to the construction of mosque and left the building half-finished. According to some sources, after his death, construction of the structure stopped. His body was buried next to citadel.
Arg e Alishah in Qajar period
There is not much historical information about the fate of this monument from the Ilkhanid period to the Safavid period. In 1194 AH during the Safavid rule, an earthquake with a magnitude of seven shook Tabriz. The earthquake razed the city to the ground and only a few limited buildings remained. Such as Blue Mosque and the south porch of the mosque of Arg e Alishah. 30 years after this earthquake in the Qajar period, the Iran-Russia wars took place in Tabriz. This structure considered as an important defensive point, became a place for storing ammunition due to its good location and high altitude.
During the war, Prince Abbas Mirza ordered the construction of a barracks and a foundry and artillery factory in this place. Moreover, a moat was built in the southern part of it. During this period this structure known as Arg e Alishah (Arg means citadel). This citadel maintained its military function after this war. During the second Russian invasion of Iran and after the constitutional period, the people of Tabriz used this structure to defend themselves against the invasion of enemy forces. During this defense, a large ball was moved over this building to maintain their defensive positions.
After the occupation of Tabriz, General Aristotle of Russia deployed Tsarist Russian forces in this building. Russian troops set fire to part of its tower. After that, with the end of the occupation of Iran and Tabriz, new structures were built in the citadel. Towards the end of the Qajar rule, towers and fortifications were added around it and used as the main garrison of the city. Other buildings that added to it are the Nejat School, the Pergola Mansion, and the Shir and Khorshid Theater.
Arg e Alishah is one of the sights of Tabriz due to its historical antiquity and architectural beauty. Arg e Alishah is the remnants of a large acropolis fortification and city wall in downtown Tabriz, Iran. Persiana Travel and Tourism Agency tried to give you a brief knowledge of this historical monument. If you are interested in city of Tabriz and its attractions, check out our tours to this city.