The 12th-century Jameh Mosque of Saveh is hosting an exhibition of a wide variety of local dishes as well as traditional arts and handicrafts, Saveh’s tourism chief has announced.

The exhibition that displays artworks by over 50 crafters in the fields of leatherworks, woodcarving, pottery, and carpet, aims to promote cohesion between artists and encourage them to pursue their crafts in the future, Reza Ayyaz said on Monday.

The event also aims to draw further attention to the mosque as a historical monument and tourist attraction, the official added.

Sources say that the Jameh Mosque of Saveh, which is sometimes referred to as “a museum of Islamic architecture”, has continuously been a busy place of worship, yet the monument has undergone restoration projects since the time it was completed in the 12th century onwards.

The Seljuk-era mosque is still a big source of charm for the faithful, sightseers, and buffs of history and Islamic architecture. It comprises a courtyard, porch, minaret, dome, and two archaic altars ornamented with Kufic calligraphic motifs.

The mosque is named after Saveh, the central Iranian city. The terms “Jameh Mosque” or “Masjed-e Jameh” or “Friday Mosque” are used in Iran for a grand communal mosque where mandatory Friday prayers are performed: the phrase is used in other Muslim countries but only in Iran does it designate this purpose.