Shah Mosque Isfahan Iran.

Shah Mosque Isfahan

Shah Mosque in Isfahan is located on the southern side of Naqsh-e-Jahan Square or Imam Square as it is also known. The construction of Shah mosque began in 1611 during the Safavids period and was officially opened in 1629. The entrance to the mosque is 27 meters high and crowned with two minarets standing at 42 meters. The Iwan (a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. I had to look this up when I was there I had no idea what it was) that opens to the Qibla(the direction you face for prayer) is 33 meters high. Behind that is the dome it is the largest in the city and it stands 52 meters high. They say the beauty and splendour of this dome is largely due to its seven colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions.

One thing that I found particularly amazing was the way the dome was acoustically engineered. There is a small square directly under the pinnacle of the dome. When you stand on this square and talk there is an echo that will echo several times. If you step more than 30 centimetres off the square there is no more echo. I was pretty amused by this maybe annoyingly so for some others.

Apparently the dome is symmetrically and mathematically perfect. Meaning that every opposing point was identical. I had no real way of proving this one way or the other but it was crazy to think about considering the size.

Personally I could not comprehend what was going on with the construction. The precision and perfection of such complicated shapes and the sheer magnitude had me mind blown. That is before you even take into account the colours, paintwork and the amount of tiles that have gone into it.
The square in the centre of the floor is the square you stand on for the acoustics.

Unfortunately there was something being constructed around the entrance for an upcoming festival so I could not get a perfect view but once inside I was in awe.

 

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19 Comments

  1. Beautiful photos! Recently I’ve become increasingly interested in visiting Iran. I realized how little I know about it and it seems under-represented in tourist magazines and blogs. It’s a shame because just from your write-up of this one mosque, it’s exquisite. I would love to see the tiled ceiling up close.

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  2. says: Luca

    I think it’s one of the most complicated artworks I’ve never seen in architecture. Only designing it must be a headache, I can’t even imagine how that should be when the actually built it. And how many shouts to the workers because they were imprecise 😀

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    1. says: Dane

      Yeah man it is accessible to everyone. There was a small fee but it was almost nothing. There was a small entry fee to a lot of the main places but again it was so super inexpensive and so worth it!

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  3. Wow, those pictures of the interior of the mosque are awe-inspiring, These architectural wonders of the past are really worth a marvel. The painting on the dome is so immaculate and fine looks incredible. And the acoustic features of the dome is intriguing and fascinating at the same time.

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  4. says: Joanna

    The details of the mosaics are so pretty and it must have taken ages for them to be completed. The mosque is so large but so well maintained, the garden in front gives it a very nice touch, something different than I’ve seen at other mosques. You have captured the mosque really well in your photos.

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  5. What a stunning built. The detail and precision that has gone into it is incredible. I can only imagine how fascinating it must have been to see it up close. It’s a shame there was construction work during your visit but thankfully it doesn’t seem to have influenced your visit too much.

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  6. says: Elena

    Wow, I’ve never heard of Isfahan, but this Mosque seems like a good reason to visit it. The architecture, the colors, the precision, all those elements make it very appealing. Are there any other attractions worth visiting in the city? I would love to hear about them.

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