Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

One of historical mosque, that is built in the ancient city of Isfahan, has remained in the Safavid era is called Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. The mosque was built on the orders of Shah Abbas and in honor of the arrival of Sheikh Lotfollah Jebel Ameli (He was one of the scientists of Shah Abbas era.). This unique mosque built by Professor Mohammad Reza Bana Isfahani.

a famous mosque

Description

This mosque has different looks and architecture with other mosques. Unlike other mosques, this mosque has not finial and courtyard. The mosque is the most circular dome in the world that is considered one of the most beautiful domes of the world. Usually, the color of the dome is turquoise, but the color of the Lotfollah's dome is Khaki.

The mosque's architecture rotates 45 degrees. You must pass two corridors to get inside Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. The second corridor rotates 45 degrees to the right. It's interesting to know that this spin is not visible from the outside. After passing the corridors, you went under the dome of this mosque. The dome has become one of the most beautiful domes in Esfahan and Iran, due to its magnificence, the architectural and decorative features of dark blue on the white background. Also, in the inner center of the dome, the peafowl is designed, whose feathers are completed by the light entering the windows above the dome of the mosque.


Architecture of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

Due to the fact that the mosque was designed to be a private mosque, it is smaller than Imam Mosque, and has no minarets. Naqsh-e Jahan Square, in contrast with the most important structures in Iran, does not follow the direction of Mecca, so Shaykh Bahai, the chief architect of the project, faced a challenge while designing two mosques of the square. Like Imam Mosque, this mosque has an entrance portal that turns right, forcing the visitor to face the direction of Mecca when entering the mosque. The paintings and interior tiles were made by Reza Abbasi, famous Iranian artist, and its quality and beauty overcome exceed anything created In Iran before. The walls, dome, entrances of the mosque are decorated with the so-called seven-color tiles, calligraphy, inscriptions of some chapters from Quran, names of Imams, and poetry.

 

Opening hours

The opening hours of the mosque are based on the praying schedule on differ from season to season. So you can enter this mosque from 9:00 AM -11:30 PM and between 13:00 -16:00 in winter, from 9:00-12:30 and from 14:00 -18:00 in summer time.