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44-567: The purpose of this mosque was for it to be private to the royal court (unlike the Shah Mosque , which was meant for the public). For this reason, the mosque does not have any minarets and is smaller. Indeed, few Westerners at the time of the Safavids even paid any attention to this mosque, and they certainly did not have access to it. To avoid having to walk across the Square to the mosque, Shah Abbas had

88-509: A central sunbrust patterned with a tracery of arabesque". The structure of the dome of Lotfollah mosque and that of Blue mosque of Tabriz is believed to be derived from that of Shah Vali mosque of Taft, Yazd . The tiling design of this mosque, as well as that of Shah Mosque and other Persian mosques of even before Safavid period, seems to be not completely symmetrical – particularly, in colours of patterns. They have been described as intentional, "symmetrical" asymmetries. Architects of

132-508: A circular or octagonal dome that surmounts a square-plan chamber. Squinches are placed to diagonally span each upper corner where the walls meet. Constructed from masonry, they have several forms, including: a graduated series of stepped arches; a hollow, open half-cone (like a funnel) laid horizontally; or a small half-dome niche. They are designed to spread the load of a dome to the intersecting walls on which they are built. By bridging corners, they also visually transition an angular space to

176-586: A round or near-circular zone. Squinches originated in the Sassanid Empire of Ancient Persia, remaining in use across Central and West Asia into modern times. From its pre-Islamic origin, it developed into an influential structure for Islamic architecture. Georgia and Armenia also inherited the form from the Sassanids, where squinches were widely employed in buildings of all kinds. They are heavily featured in surviving or ruined medieval Christian churches of

220-436: A winter mosque clamped at either side of it. The architect of the mosque is Ali Akbar Isfahani . His name appears in an inscription in the mosque above the doorway of the entrance iwan complex. The inscription also mentions that the supervisor of the construction as Muhibb 'Ali Beg Lala who was also a major donor to the mosque. Another architect Badi al-zaman-i Tuni may have been involved in its early design. Because of

264-442: Is dispelled by the steady illumination of nearly a score of windows. Barbara Brend described as follows: "the turquoise cable moulding of an arch is seen below the dome, in which concentric rings of thirty-two lozenges diminish in size as they approach a centre which gives an impression of luminosity. The design, which suggests both movement and stillness, is a powerful though not an explicit vehicle of religious symbolism, speaking of

308-559: The Azadi Square in Tehran. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Shah Mosque (Isfahan) The Shah Mosque ( Persian : مسجد شاه ) is a mosque located in Isfahan , Iran . It is located on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan Square . It

352-561: The Maydan does not agree with south-west direction of qibla ; it is set at 45 degrees to it. This feature, called pāshnah ( پاشنه ) in Persian architecture, has caused the dome to stand not exactly behind the entrance iwan ( see picture ). Its single-shell dome is 13 metres (43 ft) in diameter. The exterior side is richly covered with tiles . Compared with the Shah Mosque, the design of

396-619: The Ottomans , and at the same time gained more control over the Persian Gulf , which had recently become an important trading route for the Dutch and British East India Companies . The chief architect of this task of urban planning was Shaykh Bahai (Baha' ad-Din al-`Amili), who focused the programme on two key features of Shah Abbas's master plan: the Chahar Bagh avenue, flanked at either side by all

440-466: The minaret , and the Masjed-e Shah has four. Still, in Persian mosques, tall minarets were considered unsuitable for the call to prayer, and they would add an aedicule, known in Persian as a goldast (bouquet) for this particular purpose, which in the Masjed-e Shah stands on top of the west iwan. The mihrab , a large marble tablet ten feet tall and three feet wide on the southwestern wall, indicated

484-465: The Persian Islamic genius than the interior of the dome: The dome is inset with a network of lemon-shaped compartments, which decrease in size as they ascend towards the formalised peacock at the apex... The mihrāb in the west wall is enamelled with tiny flowers on a deep blue meadow. Each part of the design, each plane, each repetition, each separate branch or blossom has its own sombre beauty. But

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528-508: The Quranic verses in its stress on the truthfulness of God's message. The fact that two poems by Shaykh Bahai, a devoted Sufi, grace the walls of Shah Abbas' private mosque, proves that, although some Sufi elements in the empire were suppressed, Sufism as a general phenomenon continued to play an important role in the Safavid society. The design of the interior of the dome also inspired the design of

572-772: The Romanesque architecture of western Europe , one example being the Normans' 12th-century church of San Cataldo, Palermo , in Sicily. This has three domes, each supported by four doubled squinches. The word may possibly originate, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests, from the French word escoinson , meaning "from an angle", which became the English word "scuncheon" and then "scunch". This architectural element –related article

616-447: The Shah Mosque as a channel through which they could express themselves with their numerous architectural techniques. The four-iwan format , finalized by the Seljuq dynasty , and inherited by the Safavids, firmly established the courtyard facade of such mosques, with the towering gateways at every side, as more important than the actual building itself. The distinct feature of any mosque is

660-484: The Shah's desire to have the building completed during his lifetime, shortcuts were taken in the construction; for example, the Shah ignored warnings by one of the architects, Abu'l Qāsim, regarding the danger of subsidence in the foundations of the mosque, and he pressed ahead with the construction. The architect proved to be right, as in 1662 the building had to undergo major repairs. Also, many historians have wondered about

704-549: The Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is quite simple: there is no courtyard, and there are no interior iwans . The building itself consists of a flattened dome resting on a square dome chamber. However, in contrast to the simple structure of this mosque, the decoration of both interior and exterior is exceedingly complex, and in its construction the finest materials were used and the most talented craftsmen employed. Robert Byron wrote about this sight: I know of no finer example of

748-467: The architect build a tunnel spanning the piazza from the Ali Qapu Palace to the mosque. On reaching the entrance of the mosque, one would have to walk through a passage that winds round and round, until one finally reached the main building. Along this passage there were standing guards, and the obvious purpose of this design was to shield the women of the harem as much as possible from anyone's entering

792-410: The beauty of the whole comes as you move. Again, the highlights are broken by the play of glazed and unglazed surfaces; so that with every step they rearrange themselves in countless shining patterns... I have never encountered splendour of this kind before. The "peacock" at the centre of the interior side of the dome is one of the unique characteristics of the mosque. If you stand at the entrance gate of

836-423: The building. Today, these doors are open to visitors, and the passage underneath the field is no longer in use. Throughout its history, this mosque has been referred to by different names. For Junabadi it was the mosque with the great dome (Masjed-e qubbat-e ’azim) and the domed mosque (qubbat masjed), while contemporary historian Iskandar Munshi referred to it as the mosque of great purity and beauty . On

880-568: The capital of his Persian empire from the northwestern city of Qazvin to the central city of Isfahan, he initiated what would become one of the greatest programmes in Persian history; the complete remaking of this ancient city. By choosing the central city of Isfahan, fertilized by the Zāyandeh River ("The life-giving river "), lying as an oasis of intense cultivation in the midst of a vast area of arid landscape, he both distanced his capital from any future assaults by Iran's neighboring arch rival,

924-558: The city. Reflecting the light of the Sun, these domes appeared like glittering turquoise gem and could be seen from miles away by travelers following the Silk Road through Persia. Reaching 53 meters in height, the dome of the Masjed-e Shah would become the tallest in the city when it was finished in 1629. It was built as a double-shelled dome, with 14 meters spanning between the two layers, and resting on an octagonal dome chamber. The Masjed-e Shah

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968-603: The colors at once, then fired the tile. Cheaper and quicker, the new procedure allowed a wider range of colors to be used, creating richer patterns, sweeter to the eye. According to Jean Chardin , it was the low humidity in the air in Persia that made the colors so much more vivid and the contrasts between the different patterns so much stronger than what could be achieved in Europe, where the colors of tiles turned dull and lost its appearance. Still, most contemporary and modern writers regard

1012-461: The complex were Sheikh Baha'i (chief architect) and Ustad Mohammad Reza Isfahani. The building was completed in 1618 (1028 AH). Design of the Ardabil Carpet was from the same concept as that of the interior side of the dome. Also design of the "Carpet of Wonders", which will be the biggest carpet of the world, is based on the interior design of the dome. It has been suggested that concepts of

1056-403: The covered halls of the building, which were later revetted in tiles of cooler, yellowy-green shades. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Squinch In architecture , a squinch is a structural element used to support the base of

1100-418: The direction of Mecca. Above it the Shah's men had placed a gold-encrusted cupboard of allow wood. It held two relics: a Quran , said to have been copied by Imam Reza , and the bloodstained robe of Imam Hussain . Although never displayed, the robe was said to have magical powers; lifted on the end of a pike in the battle field, the belief was that it could rout an enemy. A renaissance in Persian dome building

1144-516: The exterior drum of the dome , visible to the public, consists of three surah (chapters) from the Quran; al- Shams (91, The Sun), al-Insan (76, Man) and al-Kauthar (108, Abundance). The surah emphasize the rightness of a pure soul and the fate in hell of those who reject God's way, most likely referring to the Ottoman Turks. Turning right at the entrance to the domed prayer chamber, one first encounters

1188-550: The full text of Surah 98, al- Bayyina, the Clear Proof. The message of this chapter is that clear evidence of the true scripture was not available to the People of the Book (i.e. Christians or Jews) until God sent his messenger Muhammad. The horizontal band of script at the bottom of the arch is not Quranic, but states that God's blessings are on the (Shi’i) martyrs. Thus, Shi’i invocation echoes

1232-451: The harmony of the universe. ... The support system of dome is illustrated by eight great arches of turquoise tilework in cable form which rise from a low dado to the full height of the wall, four in the position of squinches and four against the side walls; between them are kite-shaped squinches-pendentives. Within the dome, ranks of units of tilework of ogee-mandorla form are set in a lattice of plain brick and diminish in size until they meet

1276-402: The inner hall and look at the center of the dome, a peacock, whose tail is the sunrays coming in from the hole in the ceiling, can be seen. At the interior side of the dome, the aethetic purpose of the long, low, gloomy passage leading to the dome chamber becomes evident, for it is with a sense of heightened anticipation that one enters the sanctuary. Lowness gives way to soaring height and gloom

1320-405: The mosque displays the finest tile decoration in the building. It is entirely executed in tile mosaic in a full palette of seven colors (dark Persian blue, light Turkish blue, white, black, yellow, green and bisquit). A wide inscription band with religious texts written in white thuluth script on a dark blue ground frames the iwan. The tiles in the Masjed-e Shah are predominantly blue, except in

1364-555: The mystic philosopher Suhrawardi about the unity of existence was possibly related to this pattern at the interior side of the dome. Ali Reza Abbasi, the leading calligrapher at the court of Shah Abbas, has decorated the entrance, above the door, with majestic inscriptions with the names and titles of Shah Abbas, the Husayni and the Musavi, that is, the descendants of Imams Husayn and Musa. The running inscription in white tile on blue ground on

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1408-533: The other hand, European travellers, such as Jean Chardin referred to the mosque using the current name, and Quranic inscriptions within the mosque, done by Iranian calligrapher Baqir Banai , also include the name of Sheikh Lutfallah. In addition, the reckonings of Muhibb Ali Beg, the Imperial Treasurer, show that the Imam's salary came directly from the imperial household's resources. All this suggests that not only

1452-406: The peculiar orientation of The Royal square (The Maidān). Unlike most buildings of importance, this square did not lie in alignment with Mecca , so that when entering the entrance-portal of the mosque, one makes, almost without realising it, the half-right turn, which enables the main court within to face Mecca. Donald Wilber gives the most plausible explanation to this; the vision of Shaykh Bahai

1496-614: The prominent institutions of the city, such as the residences of all foreign dignitaries, and the Naqsh-e Jahan Square (" Exemplar of the World "). Prior to the Shah's ascent to power, Persia had a decentralized power structure, in which different institutions battled for power, including both the military (the Qizilbash ) and governors of the different provinces making up the empire. Shah Abbas wanted to undermine this political structure, and

1540-541: The recreation of Isfahan, as a Grand capital of Persia, was an important step in centralizing the power. The crown jewel in this project was the Masjed i Shah, which would replace the much older Jameh Mosque in conducting the Friday prayers. To achieve this, the Shah Mosque was constructed not only with vision of grandeur, having the largest dome in the city, but Shaykh Bahai also planned the construction of two religious schools and

1584-624: The region. An alternative approach to the structural problem of translating square space to round superstructure is the pendentive , much used in late Roman Empire and Byzantine architecture. Domes built in the Roman-influenced world utilised separately-evolved construction methods. The dome chamber in the Palace of Ardashir , the Sassanid king, in Firuzabad , Iran, is the earliest surviving example of

1628-462: The tile work of the Masjed-e Shah as inferior in both quality and beauty compared to those covering the Lotfallah Mosque , the latter often referred to by contemporary Persian historians, such as Iskandar Munshi , as the mosque of great purity and beauty . The architects also employed a great deal of marble, which they gathered from a marble quarry in nearby Ardestan . The entrance portal of

1672-399: The upper parts of the structure. The monument's architect was Mohammad-Reza Isfahani, who solved the problem of the difference between the direction of qibla and gateway of the building by devising an L-shaped connecting vestibule between the entrance and the enclosure. Reza Abbasi's inscription on the entry gateway gives the date of the start of construction. The north-south orientation of

1716-587: The use of the squinch. After the rise of Islam, it remained a feature of Islamic architecture , especially in Iran , and was often covered by corbelled stalactite-like structures known as muqarnas . It was used in the Middle East and in eastern Romanesque architecture , although pendentives are more common in Byzantine architecture. The Hagia Sophia features both squinches and pendentives, in combination. It spread to

1760-432: Was a huge structure, said to contain 18 million bricks and 475,000 tiles, having cost the Shah 60,000 tomans to build. It employed the new haft rangi (seven-colour) style of tile mosaic . In earlier Iranian mosques the tiles had been made of faience mosaic, a slow and expensive process where tiny pieces are cut from monochrome tiles and assembled to create intricate designs. In the haft rangi method, artisans put on all

1804-733: Was built during the Safavid Empire under the order of Abbas the Great . It is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture in the Islamic era. The Royal Mosque is registered, along with the Naghsh-e Jahan Square , as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Its construction began in 1611. The mosque is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20,000 rials banknote. It was found damaged in 2022. In 1598, when Shah Abbas decided to move

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1848-433: Was for the mosque to be visible wherever a person was situated in the maydān. Had the axis of the maydān coincided with the axis of Mecca, the dome of the mosque would have been concealed from view by the towering entrance portal leading to it. By creating an angle between them, the two parts of the building, the entrance portal and the dome, are in perfect view for everyone within the square to admire. The Safavids founded

1892-602: Was initiated by the Safavids . The distinct feature of Persian domes, which separates them from those domes created in the Christian world or the Ottoman and Mughal empires , was the colorful tiles, with which they covered the exterior of their domes, as they would on the interior. These domes soon numbered dozens in Isfahan, and the distinct, blue-colored shape would dominate the skyline of

1936-587: Was the building indeed named after Sheikh Lutfallah, but also, that this famous imam was among the first prayer-leaders for the royal court in this very mosque. The entrance gateway, like those of the Grand Bazaar and the Masjed-e Shah , was a recessed half-moon. Also, as in the Masjed-e Shah, the lower façade of the mosque and the gateway are constructed of marble, while the haft-rangi tiles ( Persian : هفت‌رنگی, lit, "seven-coloured", "polychrome mosaics") decorate

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