Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
shipper from the grand square outside into a prayer hall facing Mecca, and thus on a com-
pletely different axis.
Inside the sanctuary you can marvel at the complexity of the mosaics that adorn the
walls and the extraordinarily beautiful ceiling, with its shrinking, yellow motifs. The
shafts of sunlight that filter in through the few high, latticed windows produce a con-
stantly changing interplay of light and shadow.
The mihrab is one of the finest in Iran and has an unusually high niche; look for the cal-
ligraphic montage that names the architect and the date 1028 AH.
Photography is allowed but using a flash is not.
Kakh-e Ali Qapu
وپاقیلاعخاک
(Ali Qapu Palace;
Click here
;
admission US$0.50; 9am-4pm winter, 9am-12.30am &
3-6.30pm summer)
Built at the very end of the 16th century as a residence for Shah Abbas
I, this six-storey palace also served as a monumental gateway to the royal palaces that lay
in the parklands beyond (Ali Qapu means the 'Gate of Ali'). Named for Abbas' hero, the
Imam Ali, it was built to make an impression, and at six storeys and 38m tall it certainly
does this.
The highlight of the palace is its
elevated terrace
, which features 18 slender columns.
The terrace affords a wonderful perspective over the square and one of the best views of
the Masjed-e Shah. The attractive wooden ceiling with intricate inlay work and exposed
beams is currently undergoing a heavy restoration.
Many of the valuable paintings and mosaics that once decorated the 52 small rooms,
corridors and stairways were destroyed during the Qajar period and after the 1979 revolu-
tion. Fortunately, a few remain in the
throne room
off the terrace.
On the upper floor, the
music room
is definitely worth the climb. The stucco ceiling is
riddled with the shapes of vases and other household utensils cut to enhance the acoustics.
This distinctive craftsmanship, considered by some to be one of the finest examples of
secular Persian art, extends to the walls.
Kakh-e Chehel Sotunنوتسلهچ خاک
(Chehel Sotun Palace;
Click here
;
Ostandari St; admission US$0.90; 9am-4pm
winter, 9am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm summer)
This, the only surviving palace on the royal
precinct that stretched between Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Sq and Chahar Bagh Abbasi St,
this Safavid-era complex was built as a pleasure pavilion and reception hall, using the
Achaemenid-inspired
talar
(columnar porch) style. There are historical references to the
palace dating from 1614; however, an inscription uncovered in 1949 says it was com-
PALACE
