The Shah Mosque 7-Fold Echo Engineered to Amplify the Friday Sermon, the Sheikh Lotfollah Dome Changing Color from Cream to Pink Through the Day & the Naqsh-e Jahan Square Polo Goals Still Standing After 400 Years
The Shah Mosque 7-fold echo engineered by the dome geometry to amplify the Imam's Friday sermon; the Sheikh Lotfollah dome tiles shifting from cream to pink as the sun angle changes through the day; the original Naqsh-e Jahan polo goal posts (marble columns) still standing at each end of the square 400 years after Shah Abbas played polo here; the underground royal passage from Ali Qapu Palace to the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (the Safavid royal family never crossing the public square); the Ali Qapu music room perforated plaster niches serving as acoustic resonators for court musicians; and the 2km of thuluth calligraphy inside the Shah Mosque hand-carved by the calligrapher Alireza Abbasi.
- 1
Naqsh-e Jahan Square – The World's Second-Largest Plaza
The Naqsh-e Jahan Square heritage (the Imam Square — the greatest public space in the Islamic world and the supreme example of Safavid urban design): the square heritage guide. The square (the Naqsh-e Jahan Square (میدان نقش جهان — Image of the World Square) — renamed Imam Square (Meydan-e Imam) after the 1979 Revolution: the UNESCO inscription (the Naqsh-e Jahan Square with its surrounding monuments was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 — the first Iranian site inscribed: the dimensions (the square is 512m long and 163m wide — an area of 89,600m²: the second-largest public square in the world after Tiananmen Square in Beijing (440,000m²): the Safavid construction (Shah Abbas I (r. 1588–1629) designed the square as the centerpiece of his new Isfahan capital from 1598: the square was completed approximately 1629: the surrounding monuments (the four primary monuments surrounding the Naqsh-e Jahan: (1) the Shah Mosque (Masjed-e Imam) on the south side; (2) the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on the east side; (3) the Ali Qapu Palace on the west side; (4) the Qaysariyeh Portal (the main gateway to the Grand Bazaar) on the north side: the polo field (the Naqsh-e Jahan Square was designed and used as a polo field (chougan) — the stone goal posts at each end of the square (the marble columns at the two narrow ends) are the original polo goals — Shah Abbas played polo in the square and spectators watched from the Ali Qapu Palace terrace).
- 2
The Shah Mosque – Summit of Persian Architecture
The Shah Mosque heritage (the supreme masterpiece of Persian mosque architecture — the crowning achievement of the Safavid dynasty's 130-year building program in Isfahan): the mosque heritage guide. The mosque (the Masjed-e Shah (Shah Mosque — now called Masjed-e Imam (Imam Mosque) since 1979) on the south side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square: the construction (the mosque was built by Shah Abbas I between 1611 and 1629 — the design was by the master architect Ali Akbar Isfahani: the mosque required 18 years of construction with 18 million bricks and 475,000 painted tiles: the design problem (the Shah Mosque faces a famous orientational problem: the Naqsh-e Jahan Square is oriented northwest-southeast: the mosque must face Mecca (southwest) — the solution was an entrance vestibule angled 45 degrees between the square axis and the Mecca axis: the dome (the main dome of the Shah Mosque: height 42m above the prayer hall floor: the dome is a double dome (an inner dome over the prayer hall and an outer dome visible from the exterior): the tile acoustics (the dome acoustic system: the acoustic focal point directly beneath the center of the dome creates a 7-fold echo — the Imam's voice speaking a single word echoes 7 times around the dome before fading — the effect was designed for the amplification of the Friday sermon: the calligraphy (the primary calligraphic element of the Shah Mosque is the 2km of cursive thuluth calligraphy banding the interior walls — the inscription is the text of the Quran (the Al-Jumu'ah Surah) by the calligrapher Alireza Abbasi).
- 3
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque – The Private Royal Chapel
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque heritage (the private royal mosque of the Safavid court — the most refined and intimate mosque interior in the Islamic world): the mosque heritage guide. The mosque (the Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah (Mosque of Sheikh Lotfollah) on the east side of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square — built by Shah Abbas I between 1603 and 1619 (8 years before the Shah Mosque was begun): the name (the mosque is named for Sheikh Lotfollah Maysi al-Ameli — the Lebanese Shia theologian brought to Isfahan by Shah Abbas to serve as his private religious advisor: the unique characteristics (the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque differs from most Persian mosques in two important ways: (1) no minaret (the mosque has no minaret — it served as a private royal chapel not a congregational mosque — the call to prayer was not given here): (2) no courtyard (the mosque has no internal courtyard — the prayer hall is entered directly through the portal — a unique plan in Persian mosque architecture): the dome (the dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque: the exterior of the dome is covered in cream-colored tiles with an elaborate arabesque pattern in blue and black that changes color from cream to pink as the sun angle changes through the day: the interior dome (the interior dome is covered with the most elaborate tier-upon-tier muqarnas vaulting in Iran: the 16 windows in the drum below the dome fill the interior with a filtered golden light that changes quality through the day): the underground passage (the original royal access to the mosque was through an underground passage from the Ali Qapu Palace — the Safavid royal family entered the mosque directly from the palace without crossing the public square).
- 4
The Ali Qapu Palace – Safavid Royal Power
The Ali Qapu Palace heritage (the Safavid royal palace on the west side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square — the primary surviving monument of Safavid court architecture): the palace heritage guide. The Ali Qapu (the Ali Qapu (Ali Qapu — عالی قاپو — the Supreme Gateway): the palace is a 6-story structure built in stages between 1597 and 1660: the gateway (the name Ali Qapu refers to the palace's function as the gateway to the royal precinct — the palace forms the principal entrance to the royal garden and palace complex behind the square): the talar (the primary architectural feature of the Ali Qapu is the elevated talar (columned terrace or veranda) at the 3rd floor level: the talar is supported by 18 wooden columns with mirror-decorated column bases: the talar was the primary throne room and outdoor reception space of the Safavid court — Shah Abbas I held his ceremonial receptions on the talar with the Naqsh-e Jahan Square below: the music room (the most extraordinary interior space of the Ali Qapu is the music room (6th floor): the ceiling and upper walls are entirely covered with carved plasterwork (ganch) in the form of perforated niches (chini-khaneh) — the cut plaster niches are shaped like vases, wine glasses, and vessels and are arranged in intricate repeating patterns: the acoustic function (the perforated plaster niches serve as acoustic resonators and sound diffusers — the music room was designed specifically for the Safavid court musicians who performed for the Shah during the polo games and court receptions on the talar below).
- 5
The Isfahan Grand Bazaar – The Safavid Commercial Engine
The Isfahan Grand Bazaar heritage (the Bazar-e Bozorg-e Isfahan — the historical bazaar that served as the commercial engine of the Safavid Empire): the bazaar heritage guide. The bazaar (the Isfahan Grand Bazaar (Bazar-e Bozorg — بازار بزرگ) extends from the Naqsh-e Jahan Square northward through the old city: the length (the bazaar main arcade (the primary covered arcade connecting Naqsh-e Jahan to the old city congregational mosque) is approximately 2 km: the structure (the bazaar is organized in timcheha (covered arcade sections) and sara (larger domed caravanserai spaces): the Safavid period (the Isfahan Grand Bazaar was the primary commercial center of the Safavid Empire at its peak (early 17th century): the bazaar generated the tax revenue that funded Shah Abbas's building program including the Naqsh-e Jahan Square monuments: the specialized bazaars (the Isfahan Grand Bazaar is organized by commodity: the Bazar-e Zargarha (the gold and jewelry section): the Bazar-e Mesgarha (the copper section — the most atmospheric section of the Isfahan bazaar with the sound of hammering copper and the smell of metalwork): the Bazar-e Qalishooyanha (the carpet washing section): the Qaysariyeh Portal (the entrance gate from the Naqsh-e Jahan Square into the bazaar — the muqarnas portal of the Qaysariyeh was built in 1619 by Shah Abbas I — the paintings above the portal spandrels show Shah Abbas hunting and scenes of the Battle of Chaldiran (1514): the Timcheh-ye Hakim (the domed caravanserai at the mid-point of the bazaar — the finest surviving example of a Safavid commercial caravanserai interior).
- 6
Isfahan Practical Guide – Half the World in 2 Days
The Isfahan practical travel guide (the logistics and planning information for visiting Isfahan — the most architecturally significant city in Iran and one of the most important UNESCO Heritage destinations in Asia): the practical guide. The location (Isfahan (Esfahan — اصفهان) is 400 km south of Tehran: the transport (the primary connection from Tehran: the VIP bus from Tehran South Terminal (Payan-e Mosafarat-e Jonub) to Isfahan — 5–6 hours — departs approximately every 30 minutes from 07:00 to 22:00: the fare IRR 3,000,000–5,000,000 (USD 4–7 at the unofficial rate): the train: the Tehran-Isfahan Express (7 hours): the airplane: Iran Air and Mahan Air fly Tehran to Isfahan (45 minutes) — the fare approximately IRR 5,000,000–10,000,000 (USD 7–14)): the accommodation (the primary accommodation areas in Isfahan: the Naqsh-e Jahan area (hotels and guesthouses within walking distance of the square — the most convenient location): the traditional hotels (the Abbas Hotel — the most famous hotel in Isfahan — a former Safavid caravanserai converted to a luxury hotel): the budget options (the Si-o-se Pol guesthouse area near the bridges — the cheapest accommodations in Isfahan at USD 10–15 per night): the 2-day circuit (Day 1 — the Naqsh-e Jahan Square monuments (the Shah Mosque + Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque + Ali Qapu Palace — allow 5 hours total): the Grand Bazaar: the Darb-e Imam shrine: Day 2 — the Armenian quarter (Jolfa), the Safavid bridges (Si-o-se Pol and Khaju Bridge), the Chehel Sotun Palace, the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan (UNESCO), and the Imam Mosque (a second visit for the afternoon light on the dome tiles): the dress code (women must wear a headscarf and a covering coat (manteau) — the dress code is enforced more strictly in Isfahan than in Tehran).