Sheikh lotfollah mosque

Sheikh lotfollah mosque ( persian : masjed sheikh lotfollah ) was made  between 1602-1619 during the reign of SHah abbas the great king of Safavid dynasty . this mosque was dedicated to the rulers father in law Sheikh lotfollah who was invited to Isfahan to over see the kings mosque ( now the Masjede Imam )

It was not only a mosque but also it was a theological school . the mosque is unusual beacase it has neither minaret nor a courtyard and because steps lead up to the enterance . this was probably because it was never intended for public use , but rather served as a worship place for the king and family . inspite of that they have used blue terquise and pink color inside the sanctuary , the complexity of the mosaics that adorn the walls and the extraordinarily beautiful ceiling with its shirinking yellow motifs is a masterpiece of design . the shafts of sunlight that filter in through of few high latticed windows produce a constantly changing interplay of light and shadow that enrich the space and give a tangible quality to empty air . the Mihrab is one of the finest in Iran and has an unusually high nich Calligraphic Montage names the  architect and the date ( 1028 A.H ). 1599 A.D

The peacock ( at the center of the interior side of the dome is one of the uniqe characteristic of the mosque) . if you stand at the entrance gate of the inner hall and look at the center of the dom a peacock whose tail is the sunrays coming in from the hole in the ceiling can be seen .

The mosque also features a small Madreseh and a vaulted basement that was used a winter prayer hall.16 massive pillars of this prayer hall make it similar to Beit – al – Sheta of the congregational mosque.