s Their specific reconstruction than he makes it out to be, but it is based Two minarets of earlier fragments. a gilt of the double minaret-framed presence instance recorded on two filifii', called foot." 16 Some of these novelties could be explained as natural or normal forms of growth to meet whatever even more simply, suggest pairs. to sketch out what can be imagined or reconstructed of Isfahan at that time. It was a period of considerable Isfahan, in spite of one or two epidemics around the city against real or imaginary Ala al-Dawlah forty years, in those days a sure sign of success. to have been political and perhaps even social necessarily new needs had come about or, to exists But enough evidence or re that much more was afoot than mere maintenance as maintenance. of MJ III, it is necessary In order to justify this interpretation

The same governor, ruled the area for nearly 17 But what appears tranquility Muhammed b. Dushmanziyar, did not mean spiritual, religious, differing and emotional views within the population unity. The sign of considerably was some time before 985 of a second large congregational the building mosque under the sponsorship Jorjir mosque. It is generally twenty-five teenth-century (figs. 44-46). It was known as the some agreed that the facade uncovered complex of the seven Hakim mosque was in fact part of the J orjir mosque we know that the whole mosque of a Buyid vizier. years ago inside the entrance

18 From Mafarrukhi 47 utilized minaret earlier for the pious (khaneqiihiit), poor, clubs (majiilis) social with their sections indeed, ornament, desiccated with geometric elevations these techniques and designing of building Iran, but they were all outer-directed, immediate by its into the city as a whole. Why this mosque was built is intimated There are the common attributes inscriptions. of God, al-qadrah lilah to God," set in a proclamatory or al-cuzmah lilah, way absent until then from Islamic And there was a architecture. Koranic inscription, but He, and the angels, justice All-mighty, of this passage following the signs of God ( ayiit Allah). In the meantime Richard Bulliet's coin or medal, associated the Mu>tazilites, the more rational great debate on the nature and implications was splitting Mu>tazilites as the Buyids were. A new mosque emphasizing services, means ranging patronage probably would have used its social brought a refurbishing duwar or buildings response 48

e., 50 meters, oratories (diir al-kutub), 20 more than the roughly and that it included a library for the literate mosque), (masiijid), rest homes for the schools and various other (ahl al-adab), 19 The remains of the Jorjir covered institutions. mosque are striking and a with writing articulated of spheres and with their strongly vegetal covered wall Not only were all brick ornament. new to southwestern the mosque into its projecting a gate and, with the high minaret, surroundings through "power or greatness 3:18: "God bears witness and men possessed that there is no God of knowledge there is no god but He, the upholding bil-qisiit); qii-ciman (wa illil al-cilm exegesis the All-wise." There is need for a full historical circles as well as of the so often used in heterodox verse which deals with those who have turned away from I will simply recall an unusual