Imam Mosque
Isfahan Imam Mosque, which is located on the south side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in front of Qeysarie Bazaar, is one of the most beautiful and significant attractions of Isfahan province.
This mosque is also called Soltani Mosque, Shah Mosque, Abbasi Mosque, Al-Mahdi Mosque and Mahdieh Mosque. Isfahan Imam Mosque was built on the twenty-fourth year of Shah Abbas reign. The inscription on the entrance of the mosque indicates that Shah Abbas built this mosque on his personal budget and dedicated it to his great ancestor Shah Tahmasb. This inscription is written in Suls script by Ali Reza Abbasi, one of the famous calligraphers of the Safavid era, this mosque was built by Master Ali Akbar, an Isfahani architect. Later, two schools were established on both sides of the mosque to educate theology students; one school is attributed to Shah Suleyman and thus named Suleymaniyeh and the other is named Naseriyeh School after the repairs in Nasser al-Din Shah era. This mosque, along with other monuments in Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan province, was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Features of Isfahan Imam Mosque
Isfahan Imam Mosque includes the main dome, four minarets and two shabestans in the east and west; it is surrounded by 4 porches and courtyards. The elevated and magnificent entrance of the mosque, with 42-meter minarets that are placed around it, is very impressive; this entrance is decorated with colorful tiles, which have floral, plant and bird motifs along with beautiful Moqarnas; the rest of the building is decorated with clay tiles. Many scholars attribute this to Shah Abbas rush to complete the building. The north covered porch of the Imam Mosque of Isfahan is a large high space that is surrounded by beautiful tiles; the majestic double-shelled dome of the mosque is located on this courtyard. This dome is considered to be the largest, most decorative and masterful architectural work of the 11th century AH; one of the characteristics of this dome, which is about 54 meters high, is sound reflection.
The issue of considering the direction of the qibla is one of the most significant features of the Imam Mosque in Isfahan. The builders of the mosque have made the entrance in such a way that by passing through the entrance porch, a half turn is made to the right without even being noticeable. In fact, the eminent architect of this work has placed the mosque in the direction of Qibla with a 45-degree angle.; moreover, the monolith marble altar of this mosque is the most beautiful altar among the contemporary mosques. In Suleymaniyeh school, a simple piece of stone has been placed, which indicates the noon in four seasons of the year. This stone is considered to be one of the innovations of Sheikh Baha'i, a prominent Safavid scientist and architect.
To visit this spectacular mosque, which is among the architectural masterpieces, you can join the tours of Persian Trips.
Tags: Isfahan Province, Isfahan Attractions, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Iran Historical Attractions, Mosques in Iran, Isfahan Imam Mosque