Blue Mosque
18th-century Persian mosque with a tiled courtyard
- Area Yerevan
- Type Religious site
- Time needed 30m
The Blue Mosque is an eighteenth-century Persian foundation on Mashtots Avenue, and the only working mosque in Yerevan. Its tiled dome, brick minaret and planted courtyard make a deliberate contrast with everything around it.
Open in the planner →Getting there
About a kilometre from Republic Square, a minute or two by car and an easy ten-minute walk through the centre.
What you see
The courtyard is the main experience: a rectangle of garden and brick arcading that cuts out the noise of the avenue, with the turquoise-tiled dome rising at one end. The prayer hall and the tilework were restored with Iranian support in the 1990s, so much of the surface is new rather than original. A small library and classroom occupy part of the arcade.
What to pair it with
Sits within a short walk of Vernissage Market, Katoghike Church and the Republic Square museums.
When to go
Daytime, outside prayer times, and best in spring or autumn when the courtyard garden is at its best. Access during Friday prayers is restricted.
What is hard about it
It is a twenty-minute stop rather than a half-day, and the restoration is recent enough that it reads as new work. Visitors should dress modestly and women are normally asked to cover their heads.
Common questions
Can non-Muslims go in?
Yes, the courtyard is generally open to visitors and the prayer hall can usually be seen outside prayer times. Dress modestly and remove shoes where indicated.
Is there an entrance fee?
Entry is normally free, but confirm on arrival. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
How old is what I am looking at?
The foundation is eighteenth century, but the tilework and much of the fabric are from the restoration in the 1990s.
Nearby
- Yerevan CascadeGiant limestone stairway with modern sculpture and city views
- MatenadaranRepository of ancient Armenian manuscripts
- Republic SquareYerevan's central square with musical fountains
- Erebuni FortressUrartian citadel from 782 BC, the birthplace of Yerevan
- Armenian Genocide MemorialHilltop memorial and museum to the victims of 1915
- History Museum of ArmeniaNational collection from prehistory to the modern era
More of the same kind
- St Gregory the Illuminator CathedralLargest cathedral in Armenia, consecrated in 2001
- Katoghike ChurchTiny 13th-century chapel, the oldest in central Yerevan
- Zoravor Church17th-century church in a quiet courtyard
- Karmravor ChurchTiny 7th-century church with original roof tiles