Noh Gonbad Mosque

About this place

Noh Gonbad Mosque, the Mosque of Nine Domes, also called the Haji Piyada Mosque, is a historic mosque near the city of Balkh in northern Afghanistan, now a partial ruin. It is thought to be the oldest Islamic building in Afghanistan, dating to the 9th century or possibly the late 8th. It was long dated to the 9th century for its likeness to the Abbasid style of Samarra. A recent study proposes that it was built in 794 on the orders of Fazl ibn Yahya the Barmakid, governor of Khorasan under Harun al-Rashid. Earthquakes struck it over the centuries, perhaps as early as 819, bringing down its nine domes and leaving the columns and arches. You see short, massive columns carrying wide arches, covered in fine stucco decoration like lace, with plant and geometric patterns still sharp after more than a thousand years. A modern roof now covers the building to protect it from rain, with scaffolding from conservation work around it. The Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif is about 20 km away in a straight line. This is an ancient monument, so do not touch the stucco. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Afghanistan, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.