What remains of the Ali Shah Mosque — built in the early 14th century under the Ilkhanid vizier Taj ud-Din Ali Shah — is essentially a single enormous wall, standing about 26 metres high. The mosque was once one of the largest in the Islamic world; the prayer hall roof collapsed not long after construction, and over the centuries the structure has been used variously as a fortress and a military base. The sheer scale of the remaining qibla wall gives a vivid sense of the ambition involved. Known locally as the Arg (citadel), it sits near the city centre and is hard to miss.
Arg of Tabriz (Ali Shah Mosque)
Massive 14th-century Ilkhanid wall, once the largest mosque