Jinn Mosque

The Jinn Mosque (Azerbaijani: Cin məscidi, Persian: مسجد جن) is a former mosque, located on Gala turn, in the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in the Old City of Baku, in Azerbaijan.

The 14th century former mosque built by the Iranian Shirvanshahs was registered as a national architectural monument by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated August 2, 2001, No. 132. The Jin Mosque forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

History

The former mosque is located in the lower part of the Eastern Gate. There is no inscription on the façade of the mosque. It is believed that it was built in the 14th century and named after Jinn, a surah in Koran. It was used as a neighborhood mosque.

Architecture

The mosque is in rectangular shape in the plan. It forms a single-cell worshipping hall covered with a pointed stone dome. The five-tiered corbelled mihrab carved into muqarnas is framed with a rectangle on the southern wall of the interior and forms certain motifs of architectural school of Shirvan-Absheron as a whole. Small niches were placed at the edges.

The main façade of the mosque is asymmetrical and its rigid, voluminous composition is emphasized with classic styled portal-entrance. The portal of the mosque is classical-type.