Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque in central Yerevan stands as the only actively used mosque in Armenia, a surviving example of Persian Islamic architecture in an overwhelmingly Christian capital. It was commissioned in 1768 by the Persian Khan Hossein Ali Khan Qajar, reflecting the deep Iranian cultural influence over the region during the 18th century. During the Soviet era the building was repurposed as a museum and stripped of its religious function, before being extensively restored by Iran following Armenian independence in 1991. The signature blue-turquoise tile mosaics covering the dome and facade — which give the mosque its popular name — date largely from that restoration. A tree-lined courtyard with fountains provides a rare meditative pause at the heart of a busy city.