Problematizing the Stereotype of the Iranian Mosque
Qajar Architecture from Shiraz to Mumbai
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19214809 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reza Masoudi Nejad (0000-0002-0449-5261, University of London, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-10 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-19 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Iranian Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-0862 • E-ISSN: 1475-4819 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/irn.2026.10158 |
| OpenAlex | W7161634934 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
This article examines the Iranian mosque in Mumbai, known as Mughal Masjid, built in the 1860s by a Shirazi master mason for the Shirazi diaspora community, as a lens through which to reconsider the stereotype of the Iranian mosque. Conceived as a garden mosque, it combines the architectural traditions of mosques in the southern Zagros region with the spatial ambience of a Shirazi garden. With a survey of mosques across the southern Zagros, the article shows that historical mosques in this region are typically domeless, hypostyle structures, challenging the stereotype of the Iranian mosque defined by domes and monumental minarets. The article also critiques the stylistics of Mohammad-Karim Pirnia, arguing that nationalist historiography and colonial scholarship advance different narratives yet share a meta-narrative and epistemology that obscure regional diversity and marginalize Qajar architectural significance
Colonialism · Diversity (politics) · Historiography · Narrative · Scholarship · Stereotype (UML) · Architecture · Architecture and Cultural Influences · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Islamic Studies and History
| Highly cited | No |
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