Shah Mosque

Persian architecture is differentiated by the use of domes and minarets. These features are often seen in mosques and palaces. One of the best examples of this is the Shah Mosque.

The Shah Mosque, created during the Safavid era, is situated in the south side of the Naghsh-e Jahan Square, which is also known as Imam Square. This is located in the center of Isfahan City in Iran. The mosque is covered with mosaics. These mosaics adorn the walls with their seven colors, predominant of which is the turquoise blue colored tile. The dome roofing is one of the largest domes within the city, measuring up to 52 meters. This is a two-layered dome, with the inner cover separated from the outer one by 12 meters. Iwans, or vaulted spaces, are often seen in places such as this. However, the format used in the construction used a four-iwan format making this place more distinguished and important than other exterior ones. Though portals are usually cast in shadows, people passing through the portals to the mosque will see that the portals bask in a blue glow. Entering the holy place, one is greeted by fresco-clad doors. The doors are covered with layers of gold and silver. It is covered with calligraphy about God and Shah Abbas I. Inscriptions can also be seen in the tiles of the entrance, white against an ultramarine background.

The Shah Mosque is not the only attraction of the Naghsh-e Jahan Square. On the eastern side of the square is Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque and across it is the Ali Qapu Palace. The Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is unique in that in the center of its dome is a peacock, and through the hole in the ceiling, the sunrays become the peacocks tails. Ali Qapu Palace, on the other hand, has a distinctive front terrace as wide as the palace itself. The palace, once used as a place to greet and entertain nobles and foreign ambassadors, is a large rectangular building, which is six floors high.