Most Amazing Iranian Feats of Architecture

The third day of the Iranian calendar month of Ordibehesht (April 23), has been designated as the national Architect’s Day. Throughout their history, Iranians have combined their art and creativity with architecture and through long years, they have built edifices which are currently considered as feats of architecture in the world. Iranian architects have designed such magnificent buildings that even now, after the lapse of hundreds of years, they are still amazing and beautiful and have not lost the luster that they had at the beginning of their construction. Experts believe that Iranian architecture dates back to seventh millennium before the birth of Christ. Painstaking calculations, choice of correct covering, meticulous observance of technical and scientific issues in construction, high arcades, tall columns, and finally different kinds of eye-catching decorations are all elements that have made the Iranian architecture more beautiful and magnificent. The Iranian architecture has seen various styles. Persian, pre-Persian, and Median as well as specific architectural styles aging back to Achaemenid, Seleucid, and Sassanid eras have been among prominent and diverse architectural methods and styles practiced in Iran before the advent of Islam. After conversion of Iranians to Islam, such new styles as Khorasani, Razi, Isfahani, and Azeri accounted for the lion’s share of Iranian architecture. This article reviews architectural characteristics of some of the most amazing Iranian buildings.

Persepolis

The architecture style in Persepolis is one of the most amazing feats in the field of design and construction of a building all across the world. At that time, building this monumental edifice was aimed to mean nothing but to reflect the glory and grandeur of the Persian Empire, especially the king himself. The abundance of suitable rocks at the location of Persepolis had provided good grounds for construction of palaces with columns, use of stone-cutting and painting for decorations, and also use of glazed bricks in some parts of the building. Despite lapse of long years and going through various historical events, the columns of this building are still upright. Also, in spite of what may seem at the first glance, these columns are not built in one piece and have been made of several pieces stacked one on top of the other. Molten lead has been poured on the junction of these pieces, which has made them resistant to all kinds of shock and jolt. Another prominent feature in the architecture of Persepolis includes the use of precious metals to adorn its designs in addition to spectacular painting and the number of stairs. Construction of this building started about 25 centuries ago under the rule of Darius the Great and was later completed by his successors. They say it took about 120 years before the Persepolis was finished through the art of Iranian architects and artisans and was introduced to the world as the symbol of the glory and magnificence of Achaemenid kings. One of the main points about architectural style used in Persepolis is that the ratio of the height of entrances to their width as well as the ratio of the height of columns to the distance between two columns is equal to the “golden ratio. ” The golden ratio is a very important ratio in geometry, which can be also found in nature. Using this ratio in building Persepolis has been among unique features of Iranian architecture many centuries ago. This magnificent building was set on fire during an assault by the Greek warrior, Alexander III of Macedon (aka, Alexander the Great) in 330 B.C., which also led to destruction of a huge portion of Achaemenid books, culture and arts. At any rate, the ruins of Persepolis are still among the most popular places which draw Iranians as well as foreign tourists to the southern city of Shiraz.

Taq-e Kasra (The Great Arch of Mada’in)

Taq-e Kasra or the Great Arch of Mada’in is the biggest adobe arch in the world and a feat of architecture dating back to the era of Sassanid rulers. This structure is said to be the most brilliant work of architecture belonging to that era. They also say that to build Taq-e Kasra, Sassanid kings summoned the most famous architects from various parts of the empire, who built it with three thousand workers. As put by historians, it took 20 years before the structure was finished. The most important part of the palace is its main entrance which is shaped as a high and wide arcade facing outward, with a rectangular hall right behind it. The great arch of this structure has been built over the walls without any columns. There are corridors, chambers and halls on both sides covered by a dome and cradle-like ceiling. The frontal part of the big crescent and a part of the main façade of the palace are still in place. The external view of the palace is made of bricks and its columns and battlements have been covered with copper plates decorated with gold and silver. During past centuries, the Great Arch of Mada’in has fallen out of Iran's geographical realm and its ruins are now located 37 km south of the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad close to the eastern shores of the Tigris.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque of Isfahan

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque of Isfahan, which is located on the eastern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, is among the most famous mosques in the world in terms of architecture. This mosque was built between 1602 and 1619 on the order of Shah Abbas I of Safavid dynasty. Master Mohammad Reza Esfahani has been the chief architect of this monumental building. The mosque has been named after Sheikh Lotfollah Jabal Ameli, the renowned Muslim scholar of Safavid era, who traveled to Iran from Lebanon on the invitation of Shah Abbas I, and taught Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and principles (Usul). The altar of the mosque is considered a unique masterpiece of architecture because of its delicate tile work and exquisite corbelling. Professor Arthur Upham Pope has written in his valuable book, A Survey of Persian Art, that this building can be hardly considered a work done by human hands. He added that there are no weaknesses in the construction, all sizes are totally proportionate, the plan is powerful and beautiful and the whole building is an amalgam of excitement and vivacity combined with a glorious silence and tranquility which represent extreme aesthetic flair and have come forth from no other source but religious faith and divine revelation.

Soltaniyeh Dome

By building Soltaniyeh Dome in the city of Zanjan, Iranian architects have recorded the construction of the tallest brick dome and the first double-wall dome of the world in their own name. The dome is 48.5 m high and 24.4 m wide at its mouth. At the time of construction, this building was considered a major hallmark of the Iranian and Islamic architecture. This dome is considered as a masterpiece of the Islamic architecture. Soltaniyeh Dome was constructed between 704 and 712 AH. In terms of volume, architecture style, relations among various spaces, ratios among various components, statics, resistance of the building, and decorations, Soltaniyeh Dome is considered one of a kind. The double-wall structure has made it very resistant to earthquakes. The amazing skylights of Soltaniyeh Dome bemuse every viewer. The skylights act as a sundial. If the light comes through the hole in the main dome, it is noon. The light coming through big windows shows the time of the day in hours while the light coming through small windows shows the time in minutes.

Chehelsotoun

The era of Safavid rulers was a prime time for prosperity of the Iranian art of architecture. Chehelsotoun building, Khajou Bridge, Tavous Khaneh (House of Peacocks) Garden, Shabakeh (Network) Garden, Ghoushkhaneh (House of Hawks) Garden, and Sa’adatabad Garden are among the most important buildings constructed at that time. Among all those monuments, Chehelsotoun building is of special importance due to its outstanding architecture and its enigmatic name. The early building was built under the rule of Shah Abbas I in the form of a kiosk. Under Shah Abbas II, the building was further developed and called Chehelsotoun. Mirror Hall, 18 Columns Hall, two big northern and southern rooms adjacent to Mirror Hall, two arcades on both sides of the king’s hall and a big pond in front of the hall are major components of this building. The architecture style used in this palace is considered a combination of the Chinese, Iranian and European arts of architecture. The columns of the edifice, which give the palace its name, are made of plane tree and pine wood. The building has, in fact, 20 columns which along with their reflection in the pond have caused the building to be known as Chehelsotoun (meaning Forty Columns in Persian).

Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad

Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad is one of the most beautiful mosques of Iran and the product of unique art of the country’s architects. The mosque consists of four arcades with seven arched spaces called Shabestan situated among them. The mosque is one of those buildings which demonstrate the main characteristics of Iran's pristine and traditional architecture. One of the unique features of this mosque is the combination of vivid colors used in its painting. Cobalt blue, turquoise, white, bright green, yellow, saffron yellow, azure, and glossy black along with their reflection across the building and in combination with various shades have given a special appearance to the mosque which adds to its beauty.

Eram Garden in Shiraz

Eram Garden in Shiraz is among the most beautiful works of Iranian architecture. It has been built according to architecture style of Qajar era and imitates architecture style that was vogue under Zand dynasty. The three-story building has been designed and built in such a way that the lowermost level is usually cool and suitable for a rest in summer days. Seven-color tiles have been used in front of the columns on the second and third floors. Painting, stone-cutting, tile work and plaster work used in this building are all among masterpieces of architecture and art of Qajar era. There is a big pool in front of the building which reflects its general view.

Source: Iranian Student's News Agency, ISNA

The Most Beautiful 25 Mosques in the World

The "Telegraph" Newspaper has looked at the mosques in Muslim countries and picked up 25 of them as the most beautiful. Two of Iran's Mosques have been placed on the top of this list: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan and Nasir al Molk Mosque in Shiraz

1- Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque of Isfahan, which is located on the eastern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, is among the most famous mosques in the world in terms of architecture. This mosque was built between 1602 and 1619 on the order of Shah Abbas I of Safavid dynasty. Master Mohammad Reza Esfahani has been the chief architect of this monumental building. The mosque has been named after Sheikh Lotfollah Jabal Ameli, the renowned Muslim scholar of Safavid era, who traveled to Iran from Lebanon on the invitation of Shah Abbas I, and taught Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and principles (Usul). The altar of the mosque is considered a unique masterpiece of architecture because of its delicate tile work and exquisite corbelling. Professor Arthur Upham Pope has written in his valuable book, A Survey of Persian Art, that this building can be hardly considered a work done by human hands. He added that there are no weaknesses in the construction, all sizes are totally proportionate, the plan is powerful and beautiful and the whole building is an amalgam of excitement and vivacity combined with a glorious silence and tranquility which represent extreme aesthetic flair and have come forth from no other source but religious faith and divine revelation. (Iran Review)

2- Nasir al Molk, Shiraz, Iran

From the outside, the Nasir al-Molk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran, seems like a fairly traditional house of worship -- but it's hiding a gorgeously colorful secret. The multitude of stained glass windows turn the inside of the mosque into a riotous wonderland of color that is absolutely breathtaking. You can only see the light through the stained glass in the early morning. It was built to catch the morning sun, so that if you visit at noon it will be too late to catch the light. The sight of the morning sunlight shining through the colorful stained glass, then falling over the tightly woven Persion carpet, is so bewitching that it seems to be from another world. Even if you are the world’s least religious person, you might feel your hands coming together in prayer naturally when you see the brilliance of this light. Perhaps the builders of this mosque wanted to show their “faith” through the morning light shining through this stained glass. (Iran Review)

3- Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

Majestic, magnificent and utterly beguiling, the Blue Mosque has six needle-like minarets that form an essential part of Istanbul’s skyline, and is an unmissable part of any break to the city. Terry Richardson, Telegraph Travel’s Istanbul expert, describes how the “interior gleams with the famous blue Iznik tiles from which its name derives.” It was built under the reign of the Ottoman ruler Ahmed I between 1609 and 1616, and is now open to non-worshippers every day outside of prayer times.

4- Aya Sofya, Turkey

Opposite the Blue Mosque in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, the squat, rosy Aya Sofya was built more than 1,000 years before its neighbour. The original “Church of the Holy Wisdom” was built in the 6th century, but the building on the site when the Ottoman Empire took Istanbul was turned into a mosque. Over the 16th and 17th centuries, mihrabs, minbar, and a preaching stand were added to the structure, and the Aya Sofya today is a mixture of Byzantine glittering mosaics and inscriptions from the Koran in Arabic. It is now a museum.

5- Blue Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

The Amir Aqsunqur Mosque, which dates from the 14th century, reopened in Cairo in May this year following a 13-year closure to repair earthquake damage. The mosque is part of a funerary complex, containing the mausoleums of its founder Shams El-Din Aqsunqur and his sons. Its current aesthetic reflects the Ottoman style, especially in the Iznik tiles depicting cypress trees and vases holding tulips.

6- Ibn Tulun Mosque, Egypt

Slightly more low-key but no less beautiful is the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in the Egyptian capital. It was commissioned during the Abbasid era, and although it is believed to be Cairo’s oldest mosque, it has undergone several restorations.

7- Hassan II mosque, Morocco

The Grande Mosquée Hassan II proudly supports the world’s tallest minaret, at 210 metres. The world’s third largest mosque, it is the only such building in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter. It stands proud on the seafront in Casablanca, and the seabed is visible through the glass floor in the hall.

8- Al Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem

The third holiest place in Islam is inside the al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, in the Unesco-listed Old City of Jerusalem. The Al-Aqsa mosque – destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt several times throughout history – was used as a palace by the medieval Crusaders, but subsequent Islamic caliphates carried out repairs and restored it as a place of worship. Jerusalem’s Old City is currently under Israeli control, and worship at the Noble Sanctuary is limited to Muslims only, but tension between Palestinians and Israelis mean that restrictions are sometimes imposed on Palestinian access to the site for security reasons.

9- Al Haram Mosque, Arabian Peninsula

The Sacred Mosque, or Great Mosque of Mecca, can accommodate up to four million people, and surrounds the Ka’aba – a cuboid building that is the holiest place in Islam. It covers 400,800 square metres (99 acres), and has outdoor and indoor praying spaces. The mosque is also home to the Black Stone, set into the Ka’aba's wall by Muhammad before his first revelation, and the Maqām Ibrahim (Abraham's place of standing). Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca.

10- Al-Masjid an-Nabawi – Medina, Arabia

Built by the Prophet Muhammad circa 622, this is the second holiest site in Islam after the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca. It now houses the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, inside the Green Dome. It has 10 minarets – the tallest of which is 105 metres tall – and a capacity of 600,000, increasing to one million during the annual Hajj period. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter some parts of the Medina.

11- Ubudiah Mosque, Malaysia

Built between 1913 and 1917, this place of worship in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Peninsular Malaysia, is often touted as the country’s most beautiful mosque. With four minarets and a golden dome, it was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, a British architect who was also behind the Kuala Lumpur railway station.

12- Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, Malaysia

Malaysia’s largest mosque can be found in Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia, and is built in modernist Malay style. It has inscriptions by an Egyptian calligrapher alongside blue-stained glass windows, and its aluminium dome is covered with steel panels engraved with verses from the Koran. It has the capacity to accommodate 24,000 worshippers.

13- Faisal Mosque, Pakistan

The world’s fourth largest mosque stands against a backdrop of the Margalla Hills in Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad. Its contemporary design was conceived of by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, and its eight-sided concrete shell is inspired by a Bedouin tent and the cubic Ka’aba in Mecca. The Faisal Mosque is described in the book The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini.

14- Wazir Khan Mosque, Pakistan

Also in Pakistan, in the north-eastern city of Lahore, is the Wazir Khan mosque, built in the 17th century under the reign of Shahabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan. On the “tentative" list for Unesco World Heritage Site status since 1993, it is built in cut and dressed bricks laid in kankar lime, with some red sandstone in the gate and the transept, and is adorned with fresco paintings and tiles, with the predominant colours lajvard (cobalt), firozi (cerulean blue), green, orange, yellow, and purple.

15- Badshahi Mosque, Pakistan

Lahore is not short of beautiful mosques. The Badshahi Mosque, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century, is built in red sandstone and marble, and has a courtyard spreading 279,000 sq ft. The mosque's large minarets were supposedly used for storing zamburahs – light guns – in the Sikh civil war in 1841, while the British used the building as a military garrison during the period of the Raj. Repairs during the 20th and 21st centuries have seen the building restored to a much finer condition than during its time for military use.

16- Taj-ul-Masajid – Bhopal, India

With a name that translates as “Crown among Mosques”, this place of worship in Bhopal has a pink façade, two 18-storey high octagonal minarets with marble domes, and a double-storeyed gateway. All of which mean it is not surprising that this is India’s largest mosque, with enough space for 175,000 worshippers.

17- Jama Masjid, Delhi

This striking red sandstone and marble mosque, with three domes and two minarets, was built under the rule of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656. In 2006, two bombs were set off after Friday prayers in the mosque’s courtyard, which left several people injured, and in 2010, two tourists were injured after gunmen shot at a bus stop near the mosque’s third gate.

18- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

This brilliant white place of worship in the UAE’s capital is home to the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet, crafted by 1,200 artisans, and a 12-tonne crystal chandelier. Combining Mamluk, Ottoman and Fatimid styles, it is described by Rosemary Behan, Telegraph Travel’s Abu Dhabi expert, as a “landmark building” that is worth visiting “for the architecture alone.”

19- Masjid Sultan Qaaboos, Oman

Its position next to a motorway in Muscat might not be conducive to calm, but once guests are inside the Sultan Qaaboos mosque’s gardens, thoughts of the tarmac pummelled by white 4x4s outside will be gone. With peaceful sahn (courtyards), elegant riwaqs (arcades) and mesmerising muqanas (vaulted panelling), this place of worship is one of the most impressive buildings in this Gulf country. Its central minaret is 91.5 m (300 ft) tall, and the main prayer hall has a Persian carpet that took 600 women four years to weave.

20- Great Mosque of Samarra, Iraq

This unique 9th-century mosque near Baghdad in Iraq was built when Samarra was the capital of the Abbasid Empire, but was destroyed in 1278. Its idiosyncratic “Malwiya” minaret remains, however, with its ascending spiral conical design, 52 metres high and 33 metres wide at the base. It was damaged by an explosion in 2005, and is currently on Unesco’s list of endangered world heritage sites.

21- Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, north Cyprus

This building in Famagusta was St Nicholas's Cathedral before the Ottomans captured the city in 1571, at which point it became a mosque. It was renamed in 1954 after the commander of the 1570 Ottoman conquest, who was an unsavoury character, known for the torture of the Venetian commander of Famagusta’s fortress.

22- Umayyad Mosque, Syria

The Great Mosque of Damascus is easily one of the finest buildings in the Islamic world. Finished in 715 under the rule of the Umayyad Caliph al-Walīd I, it is based around a vast courtyard some 157m by 100 m. The Shrine of Saint John the Baptist (Prophet Yahya) is believed to contain the man’s head. The mosque has thus far been protected from the violence that has ravaged much of Syria and destroyed mosques hundreds of years old elsewhere, such as in Aleppo, but reports of stray shells causing impact damage to its facades emerged this year. The Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Syria, which has suffered violent conflict since 2011.

23- Great Mosque of Herat, Aghanistan

In lapis lazuli (a precious gem), brick and stone, this large congregational mosque in the north-western city of Herat is quite simply astonishing. With foundations laid by Sultan Ghayas-ud-Din Ghori in 1200, it was extended, amended and repaired throughout subsequent eras, and took its current form in the 15th century, although it was damaged in the Anglo-Afghan wars in the 19th century. The Foreign Office currently advises against travel to Afghanistan.

24- Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Spain

One of the world's finest examples of Moorish architecture, this building was originally a Catholic Christian church started around the year 600. When the Islamic world spread to Spain in the early 8th century, it was divided into Muslim and Christian halves, although a later caliph destroyed it and rebuilt it as a mosque that was converted into a Roman Catholic church in the Reconquista, finally becoming a cathedral in the 16th century. The mosque within the complex is still present, although Muslims are not permitted to worship within it.

25- Koutoubia Mosque, Morocco

Familiar to any tourist who has been on a city break to Marrakesh, the Koutoubia Mosque stands near the Djema'a el-Fna square in the centre of the Red City. The mosque, with one of the most intricate and impressively decorated minarets in Sunni Islam, goes by various other names, including the Jami' al-Kutubiyah, Kotoubia Mosque, Kutubiya Mosque, Kutubiyyin Mosque, and Mosque of the Booksellers. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside, but the mosque is surrounded by tranquil gardens.

UNESCO-tagged Ali Qapu receives over 375,000 visitors in H1

TEHRAN – The 16th-century Ali Qapu Palace, an element of the UNESCO-registered Imam Square in Isfahan, central Iran, welcomed over 375,000 visitors during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21).

Best known as Naghsh-e Jahan Sq. (literary meaning “Image of the World”), the property is hemmed on four sides by magnificent buildings: to the east, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque; to the west, the palace of Ali Qapu; to the north, the portico of Qeyssariyeh; and to the south, the eminent the Imam Mosque.

Amongst monuments of the Imam Square, Ali Qapu Palace received topmost number of visitors during the six month period,”Fariba Khatabakhsh, director of the World Heritage site, said on Wednesday, IRIB reported.

“It drew 375,919 people, 337,525 of whom were domestic and 37,555 were international travelers,” she said.

Over 1,800,000 tickets were sold to visitors of Isfahan’s cultural heritage sites during the six month, the official noted.

During the period, the Imam Mosque attracted 118,858 domestic and 38,955 international travelers, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque lured 77,330 Iranian and 31,899 foreign nationals, the report said.

One of Isfahan’s other top destinations, Chehel Sotoun, a 17th-century royal palace, welcomed 300,125 Iranian visitors and 34,277 international holidaymakers, IRIB quoted another tourism official as saying.

Naghsh-e Jahan Sq. was laid out in the very early 17th century under the reign of the Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas the Great, to signal the importance of Isfahan as a capital of a powerful empire.

The sizeable open space has changed little since it was built, the only modern additions are some fountains added during the Pahlavi era. Its vast sandy esplanade was used for celebrations, promenades, and public executions, for playing polo and for assembling troops.

Profusion of tree-lined boulevards, Persian gardens and important Islamic buildings give Isfahan a highly touristic appeal that is unmatched by many other Iranian cities. In addition, the city is home to many versatile artisans who underpin its reputation as a living museum of traditional culture.

Iranians have long termed Isfahan “Nesf-e Jahan”, which literary means “Half of the World”.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, cozy and symmetrical

PHOTO: Travelers sit overlooking the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan. (Photograph: James Strachan/Getty/Robert Harding World Imagery)

TEHRAN – The 17th century Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan, central Iran, is one of the architectural masterpieces of Iranian architecture.

In comparison to many mosques scattered across the country, it appears to be relatively unusual, having neither a minaret nor a courtyard probably because the mosque was never intended for public use, but rather served as a worship place for women.

The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque punctuates the middle of two-story arcades that are encircling the enormous Emam Square, itself a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Inside the sanctuary, there are thousands of mosaics that adorn the walls and its extraordinarily gorgeous ceiling that features a series of shrinking, yellow motifs, itself a masterpiece of design. Photography is allowed but using a flash is not.

Built between 1603 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I, the mosque was dedicated to the ruler’s father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah, a revered Lebanese scholar of Islam who was invited to Isfahan to oversee the king’s mosque (now the Emam Mosque).

The mosque is also very famous for having a very picturesque dome that makes extensive use of delicate yet very intercalate cream-colored tiles, changing color throughout the day from cream to pink. Some say the sunset is usually the best time to witness the change.

The exterior panels boasts collections of arabesques and floral designs that have become a signature motif of the masterpiece. The portal itself contains some stalactite-type stone carving used to decorate doorways and window recesses with rich concentrations of blue and yellow motifs.

Also known as Naghsh-e Jahan (“Image of the World”), the Emam Square is a public urban square in the center of Isfahan, a city located on the main north-south and east-west routes crossing central Iran. The square is anchored on each side by four magnificent buildings: to the east, the Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque; to the west, the pavilion of Ali Qapu; to the north, the portico of Qeyssariyeh; and to the south, the celebrated Emam Mosque.

According to UNESCO, the Emam Square was at the heart of the Safavid capital’s culture, economy, religion, social power, government, and politics. Its vast sandy esplanade was used for celebrations, promenades, and public executions, for playing polo and for assembling troops.

Under tourists’ eyes:

Here is a select of comments that visitors to the historical mosque have posted to TripAdvisor, one of the most popular travel websites in the world:

‘The most beautiful mosque’

The mosque itself is small but the impact is great. I love the fact that you can lay down and watch the main hall ceiling. The lonely planet describe the ceiling as “harmonious understatement”. I didn't understand it until I saw it in real life. It's harmonious and stunning. (Stephen C. form Canada, visited July 2017)

‘The inside just makes one well up’

Beautiful mosaics - and that doesn't go near to describing it. We sat on the floor staring at the dome – exquisite. (Drift T. from the UK; visited June 2017)

‘The most atmospheric mosque’

From the entrance you walk down a gold clad corridor to this huge domed room which is just breath taking. It is like nothing else we had seen in the whole of Iran. The basement is also worth visiting. (R. Della from United Kingdom; visited April 2017)

‘A must if you are in the square’

Fantastic architecture. The tile work was most impressive. You need a guide to explain it all. Well worth a visit. (Madeleine S. from the UK; visited April 2017)

‘A nice visit’

The amount of mosaic and wall painting is amazing. You can visit the whole Mosque in half hour time.   (Covaltio from Greece; visited January 2017)

‘Magnificent jewel’

After the splendors of the neighboring Shah Mosque, one might expect a visit to the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque to be anti-climactic… The design provides for an amazing reveal as the visitor turns at the end of the passageway to confront the mosque's hidden magnificence. (Kirk E. form the U.S.; visited Nov. 2016)