Glowing in grandeur with its unique architecture and exceptional tile work among the historical mosques of Isfahan, Masjed-e Imam or Shah Mosque is located at the southern end of Naqsh-e Jahan Square and is regarded to be of high political and religious importance during the Safavid era. The architectural magic lying under the seven color (Haft Rangi) tiles and the calligraphic inscriptions of this structure seduces everyone.
As you face the entrance of this exquisite mosque, you’d be awe-stricken by the delicate tiling on moldings in front of you. These moldings depict a honeycomb decorated with mosaics that have housed the most beautiful patterns of floral motifs in their hearts, have given them life and formed them like icicles hanging from the ceiling. Right in the lower part of the portal, beige marbles glorify what’s above them. These marble stones stretch on the lower part of the walls to emphasize and reflect the beauty of the tiles above them.
It took four years of hard work, effort, love, and talent for the architect and workers to create such a masterpiece to honor both Allah and the shah. Inside the courtyard, four amazing iwans have gathered around the blue pool where people used to get ready for saying the prayers by ablution. Each iwan unfolds a treasurous sanctuary. Floral motifs, yellow and blue tiles stretch all over the courtyard, keeping it in harmony with the whole structure and this harmony of gold and blue goes on into the main sanctuary where patterns entangle to prettify the inner side of the dome.
The dome of the mosque reflects the blue of the sky in its blue tiles and dominates the skyline with its breathtaking beauty. What’s most attractive about this mosque lies in its tranquilizing design and patterns of iconic blue tiles and its stunning mosaic structures that echo under the ceiling of this mosque. From the elaborate entrance portal with its two turquoise minarets to the clear pool at the center of interior courtyard and even the echoing of sounds flowing all over the structure, Shah Mosque impresses every single visitor of Isfahan, no matter what you believe in.