Film info

Creator / Collector

Description
The Blue Mosque is a Shiite mosque and is located at Mashtots Avenue in the town of Yeveran, Armenia. The mosque’s construction dates from the 1760s, under the design and supervision of Husain Ali Khan, then ruler of yeveran, and the project was completed in 1776.
It was rebuilt at 1887. The mosque has a central prayer hall, a main dome, a 24-meter minaret, a library and a madrassa with 28 small cells all arranged around a courtyard.

After the Red Army invaded Yerevan, which didn't resist, on December 6, 1920, the mosque ceased to function as such, as the Soviet authorities pursued policies against Islam.

In the mid 1920s, the mosque's courtyard became a pole of Armenian artists hosting their exhibitions and a tearoom that was housed in the courtyard became a place of intellectual gatherings. Yeghishe Charents, Martiros Saryan, Aksel Bakunts were regular visitors and William Saroyan (writer), Osip Mandelstam (poet), Andrei Bely (writer) were some of the foreigner frequent visitors.
In 1931 it was converted into an archaeological museum and later housed the anti-fascist museum.

Today the place is functioning again as a mosque and mosque’s ownership has been granted by the Armenian government to Iran.

In the film we see footage of the arranged cells of the madrassa, the mosque's courtyard and its dome.

Coordinates

Film Information

Holder
Bonar, Andrew Graham

Quality
HD (1440x1080)

Sound
Yes

Color
Yes

Duration (seconds)
27

Format
Super 8mm

Creator's description


Back in Erivan it is almost time for us to say farewell. Before we do so we’ll just take a brief look at an interesting reminder of the period of Persian domination and occupation: a mosque built, if I’m not mistaken, during the reign of Nadir Shah. As we have just come from Persia so we must now return there.
Bonar, Andrew Graham