Excavation in Northern Iran Recovers Early Islamic Artifacts

RASHT, IRAN—According to a Tehran Times report, deputy provincial tourism chief Vali Jahani announced the discovery of pottery and glassware beneath Islamic-era tombs during a restoration project at northern Iran’s Safi Mosque, one of the oldest structures in the city of Rasht, which is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea. The mosque is thought to have been established before Shah Ismail came to power in 1501. Researchers have also uncovered glazed tiles in the mosque’s mihrab, a semicircular niche facing in the direction of Mecca and the Kaaba. Dating these objects, Jahani explained, will help researchers date the trade center. The restoration project has been temporarily suspended while the archaeological investigation continues, he added. To read about a twelfth-century tower in western Afghanistan that was built by the nomadic Ghurid dynasty, go to "Minaret in the Mountains."