Shah Mosque (Imam Masjid) - Isfahan
History
Shah Mosque, also known as Imam Mosque or New Abbasi Masjid sits majestically on the southern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan. Shah Abbas of Iran moved the capital from Qazvin to Isfahan and he built this mosque in order to enhance the beauty of Naqsh-e Jahan Square.
The construction of this mosque started in 1611 and it was completed during the reign of Shah Safi in 1630. The entrance of the Shah Mosque is beside the Grand Bazaar of Isfahan and it is shaped like a half moon which is 27m in height. Inscriptions installed on the building, which identify Badi’ al-Zaman Tuni as responsible for the building plans, Ali Akbar Isfahani as the engineer.
There is a 400 years old large marble basin beside the main door. It used to be filled with the water or sometimes with lemonade which was offered to the worshippers. Carpets were rolled in one corner of the western iwan. These carpets are used for the Friday prayer when more people come to pray in this mosque. Suleymaniye Madrasa is also attached with the mosque which served it’s purpose as a religious school.
Courtyard of Shah Mosque
Shah Mosque has a courtyard (50 by 67 meters) surrounded by a two-story arcade on four sides with four iwans, one at the center of each side. The walls of the courtyard contain the most exquisite sunken porches, framed by haft rangi (coloured painted tiles) of deep blue and yellow. The exterior of the mosque is very rich in details and polychrome dark blue glazed tiles adorn it.
Winter Mosque & Southern Iwan
One section of the mosque is called the Winter Mosque. This southwest iwan is flanked by rectangular rooms and halls are covered by eight domes and connect to two rectangular arcaded courts serving as madrasas. The domes are much lower in the height as compared to the other parts of the mosque.
The arch of the southern iwan rises to 28m in height and it is decorated with white, dark blue and light gold colours. Mehrab of Shah Mosque is inside the southern iwan, this section of the mosque finished in 1616. The interior of the dome is ornamented with the arabesque style and it sits at 53m in height.
On one side of the mosque, an area was being used for the daily prayers, few of the locals came and went inside that room to pray. In Iran, minarets of the mosques are smaller as compared to the other parts of the Muslim World, instead they used a aedicule, known in Persian as a goldaste to call for the prayer in the past.
