Arg of Tabriz

The original construction of the mosque was made between {{AH|710|link=yes}} and {{AH|720}}, during the Ilkhanate era by Ali Shah, the Iranian vizier during the reign of Oljeitu and Abu Sa'id. Organized around four iwans, and oriented towards qibla, the Ali Shah Mosque had a marble paved rectangular sahn, {{convert|286|m}} wide by {{convert|229|m}} long, that was entered through a pishtaq. The mihrab, visible at the centre of the only remaining qibla wall, has three relieving arches above it; and on either side of the mihrab are two windows, high above ground level. Bounded by large plain brick walls of all four sides, the sahn contained an octagonal fountain, with four stone lion monuments sprouting water, and surrounding trees. The walls were broken only by the curved corners of the qibla and the rounded bastion behind the mihrab recess.

The main iwan barrel vault was {{convert|30.5|m}} wide and {{convert|48|m}} deep, with a total distance of {{convert|65.5|m}} between the portal and the mihrab. The total height of the vault was over {{convert|45.7|m}}, rising {{convert|21.7|m}} above the {{convert|24|m}} high base. During the construction, the main barrel vault collapsed and the construction was stopped afterward. Two minarets also rose from the same {{convert|24|m}} high base, rising a further {{convert|35.4|m}} to a total of {{convert|61|m}}. Attached to either side of the iwan walls were also a madrasa and a khanqa. Little is known about these two structures, as both have completely collapsed.

An earthquake in 1641 severely damaged and collapsed the monument.{{cite journal |last1=Melville |first1=Charles |title=Historical Monuments and Earthquakes in Tabriz |journal=Iran |date=1981 |volume=19 |pages=159–177 |doi=10.2307/4299714 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/4299714 |publisher=Taylor & Francis|jstor=4299714 |url-access=subscription }} Centuries later, between the eruption of the Russo-Persian War, 1804-1813, and the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828), the compound was quickly reconstructed as a military compound. During the reconstruction of the Arg compound, a foundry factory for the manufacturing of cannons for the Iranian Army was built as well as a military headquarters, a barrack for the troops, and a small palace.{{cite web |url=http://www.sid.ir/fa/VEWSSID/J_pdf/44213922703.pdf |author1=Ajorloo, B. |author2=Babaylou, A.N. |title=The Alienation of Qajarid Identity at the Arch of Alishah in Tabriz as the Result of Stylistic Restoration Methods |year=2015 |access-date= }} Samson Makintsev (better known as Samson Khan) a Qajar Iranian general of Russian origin, lived inside the citadel for years together with his wife, the daughter of Prince Aleksandre of Georgia.{{cite book |editor-last=Cronin |editor-first=Stephanie |title=Iranian-Russian Encounters: Empires and Revolutions Since 1800 |year=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415624336 |page=150}}

Arg of Tabriz, 1673.png|Remnants of the Arg of Tabriz, in Jean Chardin's drawing of Tabriz, 1673.

Remains of the Palace Zobeideh , Tabriz by Eugène Flandin.jpg|Ruins of the Arg, Eugène Flandin 1840.

Arg-Tabriz-USA.jpg|A US flag flies over the US Consulate near the Arg during the Persian Constitutional Revolution.

During the 1911 Russian invasion of Tabriz, the Russians shelled the Arg in initial attacks. Once they captured the city, they used the Arg as a central command center. During their occupation, because of careless handling, the artillery pieces they used set fire to parts of Arg.

Russian flag on top of Ark, 1911.png|Russian flag over the Arg, during 1911 Russian invasion.

Spread of fire in, 1911.png|Fire in the Arg due to careless handling of artillery pieces by Russian troops.

During the Pahlavi era, parts of the Arg, presumed to have been constructed in the 19th century during the Qajar dynasty, were destroyed. In the process much of the old Ilkhanid and Safavid remnants were also unwittingly destroyed, leaving only a tiny section of the back wall containing the mihrab intact. This destruction was with the aim of leaving behind only the original Arg construction, ridding it of its later additions and constructions. Much of the original building was lost in the process. The southern part of the Arg was turned into a park, the "Mellat Garden" (lit. park of the people), before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Ərk qalasının planı.jpg|A plan for reconstruction of the Arg's surrounding before the 1979 revolution.

Arg Alishah, Tabriz.jpg|Mellat Garden in, south of the Ark, before the 1979 revolution.

In the early 1980s after the suppression of uprising of supporters of Muslim People's Republic Party against the new establishment of mixing religion and state and neglecting of Azerbaijani minorities, Moslem Malakuti selected Juma of Tabriz as the new Imam. During his tenure in Tabriz, Juma began the destruction of the Arg's Qajar era addendum wall, cultural institutes, and ark theater and replaced them with a new mosque for Friday prayers. Some people believe this destruction of local heritage was a systematic destruction of local Azerbaijani identity.{{cite web |url=http://gamesabz.com/1392/12/3423/ |script-title=fa:ارگ علیشاه ، نماد ایستادگی تبریز میرود که فرو بریزد |access-date=2015-06-15 |language=fa |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208235415/http://gamesabz.com/1392/12/3423/ |archive-date=2015-12-08 }}

In the 1990s and 2000s, a rehabilitation and renovation project was executed by the Iranian Organization for Cultural Heritages. During this rehabilitation, however, all of the remaining Qajar era development from the Arg citadel were destroyed.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} At the same period, a new big mosque was built next to the Arg citadel. The superstructure of the new mosque undermines the architecture of the Arg citadel. Despite the regulations of the Iranian Organization for Cultural Heritages and several court hearings, the construction of the new structure was completed.

The construction of the mosque completely destroyed the ancient foundations of the original Arg that existed underground and were going to be used for a reconstruction attempt at the end of the Pahlavi era. Thus, the new Islamic regime eliminated any chance of methodical reconstruction by wiping out the remaining foundations of the Arg.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Meanwhile, the main prayer hall of the ancient mosque was turned into a car park, in direct violation of the edict of the Koran which considered a mosque's ground to be sacred and inviolable as long as the traces of it remain. It is visually clear that the new car park was created on the remains of the main prayer hall of the 700-year old grand mosque.

Ark of Tabriz 2.jpg|The Arg, the southern view.

Arg1.jpg|The Arg view at night, the southern view.

Ark of Tabriz.jpg|The Arg reconstruction, northern face.

ارگ علیشاه 2.JPG|

ارگ.jpg|

Arg Alishah3.JPG|

Arg Alishah5.JPG|

Arg Alishah6.JPG|

{{wide image|Arg of tabriz-3.jpg|1000px|Construction of a new mosque in front of the Arg citadel, 2013}}

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{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |author=Hillenbrand, Robert |title=Islamic Architecture: Form, Function, and Meaning |pages=107, 424, 491 |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2000 |isbn= }}
• {{cite book |author=O'Kane, Bernard |title=Studies in Persian Art and Architecture |pages=125–126|location=Cairo |publisher=The American University of Cairo |year=1995 |isbn= }}
• {{cite book |author=Pope, Arthur Upham |title=Persian Architecture: The Triumph of Form and Color |pages=177–179, 231|location=New York |publisher=George Braziller, Inc |year=1965 |isbn= }}
• {{cite book |author=Wilber, Donald N. |title=The Architecture of Islamic Iran: The Il Khanid Period |pages=146–149|location=New York |publisher=Greenwood Press, Publishers |year=1955 |isbn= }}

{{Commons category|Tabriz Citadel}}

• {{cite encyclopaedia |author=Afsar, K. |title=ARG-E ʿALĪŠĀH |encyclopaedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |volume=I(4) |pages=396-397 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arg-e-alisah |date=15 December 1986 |access-date=30 December 2012 }}
• {{Encyclopaedia Islamica |author=Blair, Sheila S.|title=Arg-i ʿAlī Shāh |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-islamica/arg-i-ali-shah-COM_0259?s.num=6&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-islamica&s.q=azerbaijan |year=2008}}
• {{cite news |url=https://caspianpost.com/en/post/the-troubled-story-of-the-tabriz-ark-%E2%80%93are-there-deeper-meanings-behind-archaeological-insensitivity |title=The Troubled Story of the Tabriz Ark –Are There Deeper Meanings Behind Archaeological Insensitivity |author=Qarabagli, Vahid |work=The Caspian Post |date=31 January 2022 }}
• {{cite journal |author=Shishvan, S. Niroumand |year=2016 |title=Recognition of Arg-e Ali Shah, Also known as Arg-e Tabriz (Altar of Jama Masjid of Tabriz built in Ilkhanate period I) |journal=Journal of Art and Architecture Studies |volume=5 |number=1 |pages=1–12 |issn=2383-1553 |url=https://jaas.science-line.com/attachments/article/26/J%20Art%20Arch%20Stud.%205(1)%2001-12,%202016.pdf |access-date=22 March 2025 }}
• {{cite news |author= |url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/500114/Arg-of-Tabriz-a-testament-to-Ilkhanate-splendor |title=Arg of Tabriz: a testament to Ilkhanate splendor |work=Tehran Times |date=21 June 2024 |access-date=22 March 2025 }}

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