In the travelogue of Chardin, the French traveler, it is said that when a shortage of marble was faced during the construction of the Abbasi Jame Mosque, Shah Abbas ordered them to compensate for it by removing and reusing the marble stones of the Atiq Jame Mosque.
The order provoked the reaction of the clergy of the time, who said to the Shah:”Without doubt, His Highness Shah Abbas wishes for the mosque he is building to stand for long years and many centuries. Would it not itself be an example for the successors of His Highness, so that if they wish to build an even greater mosque, they will fulfil their desire by demolishing this one?”
The Shah was pleased by what they said, and when the news came in of the discovery of a new marble quarry at the same time, he refrained from demolishing the Atiq Jame Mosque.
Name of building Abbasi Jameh Mosque
Other names Soltani Mosque, Jame Mosque, Emam Mosque
Location Southern side of the Naqshe Jahan Square
Architect Ali Akbar Isfahani
Era Safavid
National Registry 107 at 15 Dey 1310 Solar
Name of the traveler Jean Chardin
Profession Jeweller, Merchat, and Traveler
Year of arrival in Iran 1664
Title bestowed by Shah Abbas II Tajer Bashi
Book name The travelogue of Chardin
