page_title: Nain, Iran
section_title: Jame Mosque
hierarchical_section_title: Nain, Iran / Jame Mosque
caption_attribution_description: English: Jame mosque basement
context_page_description: Nain is a city and capital of Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 25,379 in 7,730 families.
  Na’in lies 170 km north of Yazd and 140 km east of Esfahan with an area of almost 35,000 km², Na’in lies at an altitude of 1545 m above sea level. Like much of the Iranian plateau, it has a desert climate, with a maximum temperature of 41 °C in summer, and a minimum of -9 °C in winter.
  More than 3,000 years ago the Persians learned how to construct aqueducts underground to bring water from the mountains to the plains. In the 1960s this ancient system provided more than 70 percent of the water used in Iran and Na’in is one of the best places in all the world to see these qanats functioning.
  Unique to Na’in are some of the most outstanding monuments in all of Iran: the Jame Mosque, one of the first four mosques built in Iran after the Arab invasion; the Pre-Islamic Narej Fortress; a Pirnia traditional house; the Old Bazaar; Rigareh, a qanat-based watermill; and a Zurkhaneh.
  Besides its monuments, Na’in is also known for its carpets, wool textile and home made pastry.
context_section_description: The initial construction of Jame Mosque dates back to the 8th Century CE, but the whole of the complex has been constructed incrementally.
  One of the oldest mosques in Iran, its magnificent plasterwork over the niche, the marvellous brickwork around the yard, and its silent basement—which may have been used as a fire temple before the mosque was built here—are only a few of the features of this mosque.
  This mosque has no Iwan and dome as do the other famous mosques in Esfahan and Yazd. A 28 m tall octagonal minaret was added to the mosque almost 700 years ago.
  If you stand in the middle of the yard, you will find yourself surrounded by fourteen columns, each one adorned with a unique and intricate pattern of brickwork.
  You might also be interested in the alabaster stonework which reflects sunlight throughout the basement.
  One of the most exquisite pieces of artwork inside the mosque is the wooden marquetry pulpit (Persian: menbar).  The carpenter matched the wooden parts together like a pieces of a puzzle. The pulpit is decorated with organic geometrical designs. According to the wooden inscription on the left side of the pulpit, it was created about 700 years ago.
  An underground water channel runs underneath the mosque. There is a stairway that connects the mosque to the water channel and to chambers above the pool. In the past, people used the water for ablutions before prayers.
  The basement used to be a prayer chamber in hot summers and cold winters. The temperature in the basement is always moderate, never varying more than 10 to 15 degrees. The basement wasn’t actually built; it was dug into the ground, which means no materials were used to construct it.
  The entrance fee is 100,000 rial. The mosque is open Tu-Su 08:00-21:00 in summer or 08:00-17:30 in winter.
caption: Jame mosque basement
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