The Saatabad Mosque is one of three seventeenth and eighteenth-century mosques that have survived in Ordubad, all protected as state heritage sites. Its name — "the place of watches" — likely refers to the nearby presence of craftsmen or merchants, and points to the town's former role as a trading centre on the route between Persia and the Caucasus.
The mosque is built in the regional stone-and-mortar tradition, with a pointed arch entrance and a simple minaret. The interior retains its original proportions and something of its atmosphere — cool, dim, and plainly furnished. Ordubad's three mosques stand within a short walk of each other, and the Saatabad is typically the least visited of the three, which gives it a quiet, unperformed quality. The surrounding neighbourhood has old houses built into the hillside, with wooden balconies jutting over narrow lanes.