HAJJI PIYADA MOSQUE

It's the oldest mosque in the country. It is seen under a sheet of sheet metal. Discovered by chance in the 1960 s, this th century mosque is an exceptional building in the history of ancient Islamic architecture. Arab domination over Balkh began in 715 after J.-C. The mosque of the Hadji Piyada, meaning «pilgrim pilgrim», was built during the second half of the th century, at the very beginning of the Islamic era in Afghanistan, at a time when the first Islamic dynasties clashed with Arab governors. In the world, there are very few dateable examples of such old and still standing mosques. Built in ornate bricks, it has nine domes supported by six cylindrical pillars. It has a mixture of Islamic influences and local know-how. Of modest size, it is about 10 m out of 10. It consists of arcades and rectangular capitals, almost completely collapsed. These are the pillars of palm leaves, grape clusters, lotus flowers and geometric motifs. The north-west façade, with an arcade of three arches, served as an entrance. In 1974, the Afghan Institute of Archaeology decided to cover the mosque of a roof of sheet and surround it with plastic sheets to protect it from rain. Over the past few years, the site is also surrounded by a mesh to prevent children from playing soccer in the ruins.

Next to the mosque is a very revered mausoleum where Ka'b, a saint of the th century.