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Secondary sourceArtifact841 (rebuilt 1086-1089 under Khayyám's patrons)

Jameh Mosque of Isfahan

841 (rebuilt 1086-1089 under Khayyám's patrons)

A historic mosque in Isfahan whose domes were built in the 1080s by Khayyám's patrons, Nizam al-Mulk and Taj al-Mulk.

Built by Khayyám's own patrons in Isfahan while he led astronomical work there, showing the court that supported him.

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Wide view of the central courtyard of the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan under a blue sky with clouds. Tall iwans with ornate tiled and muqarnas vaulting frame the square, with a blue-tiled fountain pool in the foreground and a pair of minarets rising behind the central portal.
Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, domes built 1086–1089 under Nizam al-Mulk and Taj al-Mulk.

About this source

What it is

The Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is a congregational mosque built and rebuilt over many centuries starting around 771. In 1086–87 its vizier patron Nizam al-Mulk added a large domed space on the south side, and in 1088–89 his rival Taj al-Mulk added a second dome on the north side, considered a masterpiece of medieval Iranian architecture. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Why it matters

These domes were built in Isfahan during the same years that Omar Khayyám was leading astronomical work there under the patronage of the same Seljuk officials, Nizam al-Mulk and Taj al-Mulk. The mosque shows the wealth, rivalry and architectural ambition of the court that supported Khayyám's scientific career.

Look closer

  • What does it suggest that two rival officials each built their own dome at the same mosque?
  • How might living in a capital with this kind of architectural ambition have supported scientific work like Khayyám's?
  • What is missing from a photograph of a building that a written history might tell us instead?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Omar Khayyam on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Front cover of a green cloth book titled Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, the Astronomer-Poet of Persia, with gold lettering, a gold floral emblem, black decorative arch border, and publisher Houghton, Osgood & Co. at the bottom.Book

Secondary source

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

Edward FitzGerald · 1878

Manuscript page numbered 46 in Arabic script, with a geometric diagram of a rectangle with both diagonals drawn and lettered corners at the top of the page, above several lines of handwritten Arabic text in black ink on aged, yellowish paper.Document

Primary source

Khayyam Geometry Manuscript

Omar Khayyám

Book

Secondary source

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (First Edition)

Edward FitzGerald · 1859

Painted manuscript page in Persian miniature style: a seated bearded ruler in a crown gestures toward a woman in green kneeling on a rug, while a small attendant in a blue robe stands at a doorway on the left. Persian text fills the bottom panel.Book

Secondary source

Chahar Maqala

Nizami Aruzi · 1155–1157

Manuscript page in Persian nastaliq script with an ornate gold-and-blue illuminated Bismillah heading at top, red-ruled borders, a marginal note in gold, and a round seal stamp in the margin on the right. Adjacent page edge visible at left.Book

Secondary source

Jami' al-tawarikh

Rashid al-Din Hamadani · c. 1400 (manuscript copy)

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