A modern mosque without minarets stirs controversy in Tehran
(The Guardian Iran)

Iranian hardliners are refusing to recognise the new Vali-e-Asr mosque next to the City theatre as a place of worshipWhen the Tehran authorities commissioned the construction of a mosque near the City theatre - one of Iranian capital´s most distinctive buildings - it was always going to be a tricky balancing act for the architects to design something unique that did not eclipse the adjacent structure. The theatre, which was built before the 1979 revolution, has a spectacular tiled circular structure with external pillars and is the largest exclusive space in Iran for performing arts. The new mosque next door is a modern building that sits in harmony with it, sweeping from the ground towards the Qibla (the direction of Mecca), allowing sunlight through windows embedded in a wave-like structure. Related: Tehran`s towers: how the Iranian capital embraced bold architecture Continue reading...