Central Iran - Iran - page 323

In the centre of the main courtyard, which is surrounded by four contrasting iwans, is
an ablutions fountain designed to imitate the Kaaba at Mecca; would-be hajji pilgrims
once used it to practise the appropriate rituals. The two-storey porches around the court-
yard's perimeter were constructed in the late 15th century.
The south iwan is very elaborate, with Mongol-era stalactite mouldings, some splendid
15th-century mosaics on the side walls, and two minarets. Behind it is the grand Nezam
al-Molk Dome , which is flanked by Seljuk-era prayer halls .
The north iwan has a wonderful monumental porch with the Seljuks' customary Kufic
inscriptions and austere brick pillars in the sanctuary. Behind it (entered through a door
next to the iwan ) is a prayer hall featuring a forest of pillars. Walk to the rear and you will
find the exquisite Taj al-Molk Dome , widely considered to be the finest brick dome ever
built in Persia. While relatively small, it is said to be mathematically perfect, and has sur-
vived dozens of earthquakes with nary a blemish for more than 900 years.
The west iwan was originally built by the Seljuks but later decorated by the Safavids. It
has mosaics that are more geometric than those of the southern hall. The courtyard is
topped by a maazeneh, a small raised platform with a conical roof from where the faithful
used to be called to prayer.
The Room of Sultan Uljeitu (a 14th- century Shiite convert) next to the west iwan is
home to one of the mosque's greatest treasures - an exquisite stucco mihrab awash with
dense Quranic inscriptions and floral designs. Next to this is the Timurid-era Winter Hall
(Beit al-Shata), built in 1448 and lit by alabaster skylights. This was closed for restoration
at the time of writing.

BAZAAR

Bazar-e Bozorgگرزب رازاب
(Great Bazaar; Click here ; approximately 9am-8pm Sat-Thu) One of Iran's most his-
toric and fascinating bazaars (other notable examples are in Tehran and Tabriz), this
sprawling marketplace links Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Sq with the Masjed-e Jameh, 1.7km
northeast. The bazaar's arched passageways are topped by a series of small domes, each
with an aperture at its apex spilling shafts of light onto the commerce below. While the
oldest parts of the bazaar (those around the mosque), are more than a thousand years old,
most of what you see today was built during Shah Abbas' aggressive expansions in the
early 1600s.
The bazaar is a maze of lanes, madrasehs, khans (caravanserais) and timchehs, domed
hall or arcaded centres of a single trade (eg carpet). It can be entered at dozens of points,
but the main entrance is via the Qeysarieh Portal at the northern end of Naqsh-e Jahan
Sq, which is decorated with beautiful tiles and recently restored frescoes by the great Reza