Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHAH IN A HURRY
When the Masjed-e Shah was begun, Shah Abbas the Great probably didn't think it would be 25 years before the
last of the artisans left the building. He was already 52 when work began, and as he grew older he grew ever more
impatient to see his greatest architectural endeavour completed.
Legend has it that the shah repeatedly demanded that corners be cut to hasten progress, even insisting work on the
walls be started despite the foundations having not yet set. His architect, Ali Akbar Esfahani, was having none of it.
He flatly defied his boss before making himself scarce until the shah calmed down (sensible, as Abbas was notori-
ously insecure and had killed two of his sons and blinded another). The architect eventually returned to the court
where, because the wisdom of his decision had been demonstrated, he was welcomed back with a royal pardon.
Some of the time-saving techniques used were quite innovative: rather than covering the entire complex with mil-
lions of individual mosaic tiles, larger prefabricated patterned tiles called
haft rangi
were created - they've been
standard ever since.
Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah
للافطلخیشدجسم
(Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque;
Click here
;
admission US$0.40; 9am-4pm winter,
9am-12.30am & 3-6.30pm summer)
A study in harmonious understatement, this mosque
is the perfect complement to the overwhelming richness of the larger Masjed-e Shah. Built
between 1602 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I, it is dedicated to the ruler's
father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah, a revered Lebanese scholar of Islam who was invited to
Esfahan to oversee the king's mosque (now the Masjed-e Shah) and theological school.
The dome makes extensive use of delicate cream-coloured tiles that change colour
throughout the day from cream to pink (sunset is usually the best time to witness this).
The signature blue-and-turquoise tiles of Esfahan are evident only around the dome's
summit.
The pale tones of the cupola stand in contrast to those around the
portal
, where you'll
find some of the best surviving Safavid-era mosaics. The exterior panels contain wonder-
ful arabesques and other intricate floral designs; those displaying a vase framed by the
tails of two peacocks are superb. The portal itself contains some particularly fine
muqarnas
with rich concentrations of blue and yellow motifs.
The mosque is unusual because it has neither a minaret nor a courtyard, and because
steps lead up to the entrance. This was probably because the mosque was never intended
for public use, but rather served as the worship place for the women of the shah's harem.
The
sanctuary
or prayer hall is reached via a twisting
hallway
where the eyes become ac-
customed to the darkness as subtle shifts of light play across deep blue tilework. This hall-
way is integral to both the design and function of the mosque because it takes the wor-
