- 27 - 2004
- 4. Histoire, Période Musulmane
- 4.2. Histoire du XVe au XIXe siècle
- 4.2.1. Safavides et Qâjârs
180
Kondo, Nobuaki
« The Old Friday Mosque and the Waqfs in Teheran ». Journal of Asian and African Studies, 66 (2003), pp. 1-20 [in Japanese].
Recent works have proven that vaqf endowments, theoretically perpetual and immutable, could, with the lapse of time, become devastated and/or occupied unlawfully by outsiders. This original paper deals with the history of Masjed-e Jāme‘-e ‘Atīq at Tehran, whose foundation dates back, at least, to the mid-17th century. Analyzing three unpublished documents preserved at the Vaqf Organization at Teheran, the author clarifies how the mosque and the vaqf supporting it were preserved until the 19th century. What makes the study extremely unique is the fact that, contrary to monumental mosques built by rulers and powerful notables, that have often attracted the attention of researchers, the mosque in question was built and sustained by donations of local people. Kondo argues persuasively that it is especially due to its vital role as a prayer place that the local residents made every effort to resist outside interventions in the vaqf.

