Nadoushan, city with mosque in every alley; women-only included

Centuries-old mosques are abundant in Iranian city of Nodoushan so much so that every alley roughly hosts one.

Nodoshan is no longer a village and has now become a small city located 70 km north of Yazd province. Although many new and modern houses have replaced the old ones, its historical texture is still intact and the renovated old houses have been turned into attractions of eco-tourism.

According to Fazlullah Rahimian, a heritage and tourism activist, Nodoushan currently has a population of 3,000 people and there is a mosque in almost every alley, most of which are historical and all of which were carpeted with hand-made floor carpeting Zilous.

Nodoushan has 10 small mosques and seven large mosques, and its historical texture has been nationally registered.

The mosques are spectacular. Some of them include a thatched room that eventually houses just a handful of people.

Ameneh Gol Mosque in Nodoshan is one of the small mosques in the old Nodoshan area that has only one room with its key hung in front of the door so that anyone can unlock the mosque.

It is said that only women used this mosque and it dates back to centuries ago. The inside of the mosque has a very special charm and is full of memorabilia with beautiful writings on the walls, some of which were written more than a hundred years back. This mosque has been registered on the National Heritage list.

AG/AG