Afghanistan: Balkh – Noh Gumbad aka Nine-Domes Mosque

Balkh is home to the oldest mosque in Afghanistan – the Noh Gumbad aka Nine-Domes Mosque – and one of the oldest mosques in the entire Islamic world. The mosque was built in 805 AD. Actually, the mosque was built on a prehistoric religious site, likely Zoroastrian or Buddhist temple. The mosque has a square plan with nine domes and four very ornate – floral and geometric patterns – columns supporting the entire thing. The mosque is now protested and guarded, but the time brought severe neglect and destruction to it with significant damage from centuries of earthquakes and conflict, including the Soviet-Afghan War and the Taliban insurgency. Only fragments of the original structure remain, including parts of the domes, arches, and some stucco decoration – all made from simple white mud bricks. A totally amazing site!