Arg of Tabriz

During the Russian invasion of Tabriz in 1911, the Russians shelled the Arg in initial attacks. Once they captured the city, they used the Arg as a central command center. During their occupation, because of careless handling, the artillery pieces they used set fire to parts of Arg.

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  Russian flag over Arg, during Russian invasion.
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  Fire in Arg due to careless handling of artillery pieces by Russian troops.

During the Pahlavi era, parts of the Arg which was presume to have been constructed in the 19th century during the Qajar dynasty were destroyed. In the process, much of the old Ilkhanid and Safavid remnants were also unwittingly destroyed, leaving behind only a tiny section of the back wall containing the Mihrab intact. This destruction was with the aim of leaving behind only the original Arg construction, ridding it of its later additions and constructions. Much of the original building was last in the process. The southern part of the Arg was turned into a park, the "Mellat Garden" (lit. park of the people), before the Iranian revolution in 1979.[2]

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  A plan for reconstruction of Arg's surrounding before the Iranian revolution in 1979.
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  Mellat Garden in South of Ark after initial constructions before revolution in 1979.

In the early 1980s after the suppression of uprising of supporters of Muslim People's Republic Party against the new establishment of mixing religion and state and neglecting of Azerbaijani minorities, Moslem Malakuti selected Juma of Tabriz as the new Imam. During his tenure in Tabriz, Juma began the destruction of Ark's Qajar era addendum wall, cultural institutes and ark theater and replaced them with a new mosque for Friday prayers. Some people believe this destruction of local heritage was a systematic destruction of local Azerbaijani identity.[4]

In the 1990s and 2000s, a rehabilitation and renovation project was executed by the Iranian Organization for Cultural Heritages. During this rehabilitation, however, all of the remaining Qajar era development from Arg citadel were destroyed. At the same period, a new big mosque was built next to the Arg citadel. The superstructure of the new mosque undermine the architecture of Arg citadel.[2] Despite the regulations of the Iranian Organization for Cultural Heritages and several court hearing the construction of the new structure was completed.

This action completely destroyed the ancient foundations of the original Arg that still existed underground and were going to be used for a reconstruction attempt at the end of the Pahlavi era. Thus, the new Islamic regime eliminated any chance of methodical reconstruction by wiping out the remaining foundations of the Arg. Ironically, this was done in order to build a new mosque, which could have been built a few dozens of yards farther away from this primary Iranian Islamic archaeological site and spare its destruction. Meanwhile, the main prayer hall of the ancient mosque was turned into a car parking lot, in direct violation of the edict of the Koran which considered a mosque's ground to be sacred and inviolable as long as the traces of it remain. It is visually clear that the new car park is created on nothing but the remains of the main prayer hall of the 700 year old grand mosque.

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  Arg, the southern view.
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  Arg view at night, the southern view.
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  Arg reconstruction, northern face.
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Construction of a new mosque in front of Arg citadel, 2013