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Shirazi M, Ajorloo B, Pourtahmasi K, Omrani B, Abdi Ghazi Jahani A. The Archaeo-dendrochronological Dating of the Red Mosque in Bonāb, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. JRA 2024; 10 (1) :133-143
URL: http://jra-tabriziau.ir/article-1-230-en.html

Archaeology deploys the scientific method of archaeo-dendrochronology for the absolute dating of wooden works applied in historic architectural heritage. The main question of the current research is to date historic mosque known as Red in Bonāb town of East Azerbaijan province. Despite being registered in the list of national monuments of Iran, the historical authenticity of this mosque has been doubtful. Although the architectural stylistic hypothesis suggests that Bonāb Red Mosque is placed in the group of columned buildings of the Safavid period, such as the Molla Rustam Mosque in Maragheh and the Chehlsotun Palace in Isfahan, there are no inscriptions or historical documents to confirm this hypothesis.After preparing a cross-section from the spruce wooden columns of the Red Mosque, the growth pattern sampled from it has been compared with the growth pattern diagram of juniper trees in the east of the Anatolian plateau by the method of dendrochronology. The pattern of tree growth in Azerbaijan region - Lake Urmia basin - has been prepared by sampling and measuring the width of growth rings of juniper trees in the Shāhi Island area of Lake Urmia; and comparing the resulting graph with the growth curve of juniper and oak trees in the east of the Anatolian plateau, shows the high compatibility of the growth pattern of both neighboring regions; Therefore, for the more far years ago that do not cover the tree growth curve of the Shāhi Island region, the tree curve of the eastern Anatolian Plateau - Lake Van Basin - can be used as a reference.Based on the principle of validity of Terminus post quem after the construction of the wooden work in archaeo-dendrochronology, the date of the last years of the Safavid period and around 1706 AD is suggested for the Red Mosque of Bonāb.