Ghorid (12th century) ruins, believed to be a Mausoleum or Madrassa, Chist-I-Sharif, Afghanistan, Asia

Friday Mosque (Masjet-eJam), restored since 1943, originally laid out in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Twelfth century Ghorid ruins believed to be a mausoleum or madrassa, Jam to Obay, Chist-I-Sharif, Ghor (Ghur) (Ghowr) province, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The mihrab in the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The mihrab in the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Courtyard of the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Detail of tilework on the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Detail of tilework on the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Men reading in front of the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Detail of tilework on the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Detail of tilework on the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Bronze doors in the courtyard of Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Friday Mosque (Masjet-eJam), laid out in 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin, on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, restoration started in 1943, Herat, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

The mihrab in the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Chist-I-Sharif, Ghorid (12th century) ruins believed to be a mausoleum or madrassa, Ghor (Ghur) (Ghowr) Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Bronze doors in the courtyard of the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Friday Mosque (Masjet-eJam), laid out in 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin, on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, restoration started in 1943, Herat, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Tombs near Ghorid (12th century) ruins believed to be a mausoleum or madrassa, Chist-I-Sharif, Ghor (Ghur) (Ghowr) province, Afghanistan, Asia

The Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Decoration on the remains of a 12th century Ghorid arch, Friday Mosque (Masjet-eJam), Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Minaret of the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

New fountain in front of the Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, built in the year 1200 by the Ghorid Sultan Ghiyasyddin on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Floral & geometric patterns of restored Timurid tile mosaics decorate a wall in the courtyard of the Friday Mosque or "Masjid-i Jami", the largest mosque in Herat, dating to 1200 AD, Herat, Afghanistan. Much of the Ghorid and Timurid decorations on the mosque had been badly damaged during the centuries, but a restoration project begun in 1943 continues today.