Arg of Ali Shah

The Arg of Ali Shah (ارگ علیشاه), also known as the Arg of Tabriz, the Arch of Alishah, the Arg Citadel, and Ali Shah Mosque, is the remnants of a large acropolis fortification, city wall and mosque, located in downtown Tabriz, in the province of East Azerbaijan. Its structure has long been visible from far distances in Tabriz, although more recently partially obscured by newly-erected buildings. It has been a mosque, mausoleum, an ammunition factory or constitutionalist's shelter; throughout the turbulent centuries marked by earthquakes and wars, the citadel has stood resilient.

The structure was initially a compound, containing a great vaulted mosque, adjoining prayer halls and libraries, a vast courtyard containing a huge reflecting pool, and a mausoleum—all surrounded by a containing wall. It was built in 14th century during the Ilkhanate era. The original construction of the mosque was made between 1311 and 1321. However, with the sudden death of Ali Shah, the governor of the city, and with some construction complications in constructing a roofed building without pillar for such a huge complex, the mausoleum structure remained incomplete. The main barrel vault collapsed and the construction was stopped afterward.

An anonymous Italian merchant who visited Tabriz in the early sixteenth century noted that the vault of the qibla (which he calls the choir) was unfinished, not realizing that it had fallen down earlier. He described the portals and doors of the mosques in detail and mentioned a stream outside the main entrance. He also mentioned the stone vaulting all around the courtyard, supported on crystal-like marble columns each five or six paces high.

The citadel stands as a magnificent showcase of Iranian architectural artistry. Organized around four iwans, and oriented towards Mecca, the Ali Shah Mosque had a marble paved rectangular courtyard, 286 meters wide by 229 meters long. The mihrab, visible at the center of the only remaining qibla wall on the southern side, has three relieving arches above it; and on either side of the mihrab are two windows, rising high above ground level. Bounded by large plain brick walls of all four sides, the courtyard contained an octagonal fountain erected on a square base, with four stone lion monuments sprouting water, and surrounding trees. The main iwan barrel vault was 30.5 meters wide and 48 meters long with a total height of over 45 meters. Two minarets also rose from the base, rising a further 35 meters. Attached to either side of the iwan walls were also a school and a Sufi lodge.

An earthquake in 1641 severely damaged and collapsed the monument. Centuries later, between the eruption of the two Russo-Persian Wars, the compound rapidly turned into the city's fort and additional military installations such as a barracks and cannon foundry were added to the original structure. During the 1911 Russian invasion of Tabriz, the Russians shelled the Arg in initial attacks. During the Pahlavi era, parts of the Arg, presumed to have been constructed in the 19th century during the Qajar dynasty, were destroyed.  and the southern part of the structure was turned into a park. In the late 20th century a big mosque was built next to the citadel. The construction of the mosque completely destroyed the ancient foundations of the original Arg that existed underground while the main prayer hall of the ancient mosque was turned into a car park.

The Arg of Ali Shah was added to the Iran National Heritage List in 1932, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran with number 170.