| The Masjid-i Shah in Isfahan was constructed
under the auspices of Shah Abbas between 1607 and 1620. It
was part of a reconstruction of the city undertaken by the shah in order
to transform it into the capital of Persia. The mosque is located at the
southern end of a large square, the Maidan-i Shah, whose perimeter is lined
with regular bays that provide a consistent architectural frame for the
many businesses that line it. At the northern end of the maidan
is a large gateway into the old bazaar of the city.
The entrance portal to the Masjid-i Shah leads the visitor from the maidan through a crooked passageway into the central court of the mosque. When the visitor emerges, orientation has shifted from the north-south orientation of the maidan to the required orientation toward Mecca of a mosque. The courtyard reveals that the mosque is typical of Persian design, with four iwans arrayed symmetrically around a central pool of water. A large dome rises above the main sanctuary. The entire mosque is covered with colored tiles and all the iwans are decorated with intricate muqarnas. |
ISFAHAN RESOURCES
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