Jameh Mosque of Avihang

The mosques, particularly those located in villages, are more than just worship houses and places for religious rituals because they are intertwined with the culture of local people. From their architectural styles to the artifacts found in them, all the elements showcase the traditions and beliefs of villagers. They are also important centers where villagers gather.

Jameh Mosque of Avihang in Kurdestan is one of these examples where many functions of a local mosque can be seen. According to the wall writings, it was built in 1191 SH by the order of Amanollah Khan Ardalan, the ruler of Kurdesan.

Avihang is a two-story building with two eastern and western iwans, a brick minaret, main hall, twelve rooms and columned sanctuary, six columns in each floor with spiral design.

Jameh Mosque of Avihang has two sections, one was built at the beginning and the other was later added during different times. The first story is as big as four hundred square meters and has a sanctuary, Howz Khaneh, and a vestibule.

The thickness of the walls are one meter in the first section and sixty centimeters in the second. The second section is located in the lower story and was built in 1282 SH before WWI as the building was restored. In addition to a sanctuary similar to the one on the first story, the second section has an ablution room and one room. The pool of Jameh Mosque of Avihang is located in its Miansara.

Jameh Mosque of Avihang has decorations of Qajar half-circled vaults, wooden capitals with religious motifs, enameled cuerda seca tiles, marble dados, glazed tiles with Bannai scripts, pool, fountain.

Jameh Mosque of Avihang is located close to a river, in the middle of a village with the same name, near Kuh-e Sang Sorkh. It is in the rural district of western Javarod, fifteen kilometers of Kellaterzan, and fifty-eight kilometers of Sanandaj of Kerman Province. Located one thousand and six hundred and seventy meters higher than sea level, Avihang village has a cold and dry climate. It is surrounded by mounts Bigorre and Haidarshah in the northwest, mount Bardsur in the north, mountain passes of Kordabad and Darrehseir in the northeast, and Dareh Ghelicheh in the southwest. Because of its mountainous climate, the houses are built-in in the manner of a staircase.

The material of the houses are mostly supplied locally and include cob bricks, clay, stone, plaster and wood. The people speak in Gorani dialect. One of the rituals of Avihang is Helperke dance, Chapi mourning and Siahchamaneh music. Plants and trees such as oak, Valeria, pennyroyal, common fumitory, ash, mountain fig, hawthorn, prunus scoparia, willow, plane, and cottonwood can be found in this village.

This village is registered as a national heritage of Iran.