The mosque was built as part of a larger complex commissioned through the endowment of Khatun Jan Begom, wife of Jahanshah, ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty from 1438 to 1467. She died in 1469, just four years after the mosque's completion. The original complex was ambitious: a Sufi convent, an underground canal, gardens, a madrasa, bathhouses, and a mausoleum, all centered around the mosque. The mausoleum extension was completed later, during the reign of the rival Aq Qoyunlu dynasty, into the 1480s. Of this entire complex, only the mosque and part of the mausoleum survive. Jahanshah himself is buried in the southern section, his tomb a quiet footnote in a building that outlasted his dynasty by centuries.

The Blue Mosque earned its name and its reputation from its extraordinary tilework. The interior of the dome chamber facing the qibla was clad in dark-blue hexagonal tiles with stenciled gilding -- a decorative technique so sophisticated that scholars considered it the sole known example of its kind for a considerable period. The distinctive blue-and-white patterns, combined with lusterware and gilded cobalt tiles, represented the pinnacle of Tabriz's ceramic craftsmanship. Art historians note that this level of decorative richness was not matched until the construction of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan more than a century later. The calligrapher Nematollah-ben-Mohammad-ol-Bavab created the Kufic and Thuluth inscriptions and arabesque patterns that adorned the facades. The mosque's T-shaped floor plan and towering minarets reflected Ottoman architectural influence, evidence of the artisan exchange that flowed between the two empires during Jahanshah's rule.

In 1780, a devastating earthquake struck Tabriz. The Blue Mosque, already reportedly in severe disrepair since the 17th century -- when one account described it as "completely destroyed and abandoned" -- was shattered. The earthquake killed tens of thousands across the region. For the mosque, it was the final collapse. The dome, the prayer hall, most of the walls crumbled. For years, the ruin sat along the main Tabriz-Tehran road, a striking skeleton visible to every traveler passing through. In the 19th century, local residents looted what remained, carrying away tiles and stone. By the time Godard arrived in 1928, the mosque was more absence than presence -- a few columns, fragments of wall, hints of the geometric perfection that had once covered every surface.

Reconstruction began in 1973 under the direction of Reza Memaran Benam, supervised by the Iranian Ministry of Culture. The work has followed careful conservation principles: minimum intervention, compatibility with original materials, and deliberate distinguishability so that future observers can tell new work from old. The double-shell dome was rebuilt using traditional cornering techniques that reflect the construction logic of the 15th century. New bricks were selected to match the historical material in appearance and structure, but slight intentional differences mark them as modern additions. The mosque was added to the Iran National Heritage List in 1932, and a 100-meter protective radius now limits surrounding construction to two stories. In November 2024, the Iranian government submitted the Blue Mosque to UNESCO for consideration on the World Heritage List -- recognition that would honor not just the building, but the centuries-long effort to keep its memory from vanishing entirely.