Sāveh

Saveh lies west of Qom on the routes between the Iranian plateau and the western highlands. Its Friday mosque preserves a long sequence of building, from early Islamic prayer halls to Seljuk brickwork and later additions. A tall brick minaret rises beside the courtyard, while the domed prayer chamber contains decorated mihrabs and inscriptions. The city's gardens are known for their pomegranates.

The Mongol invasion devastated Saveh in the thirteenth century, but the city recovered under the Ilkhanids. Its mosque was altered over the following centuries, with a western iwan added in the Ilkhanid period and further inscriptions and decoration dating to Safavid rule. The building thus brings together the work of successive patrons and craftsmen, preserving the history of a city repeatedly damaged and rebuilt.