Iran After Islam – Quran Naskh Script, 13 Century AD
Photo by Ibrahim Khadem Bayyat / Publisher: ICHTO

During 635-641 A.D., Iran became the target of the Muslim Arabs who were conquering the neighboring lands. In a series of battles such as Al-Qādisiyyah, Al-Mada’in, and Nahavand, Iran was defeated by the Arabs during the Sassanid Empire. As the Arabs advanced across Iran, the Sassanid Empire got gradually closer to demise as the local rulers and peasants were not satisfied with the empire system and the existing economic and social gaps and therefore, they made a compromise with Arabs with no war and serious resistance.

After the advent of Islam, for two centuries, Iran experienced one of the most sensitive periods of its history. Arabs entrance to the country and the encounter of their cultural, social, and economic structures with locals’, influenced significantly the country which can be observed in today’s history as well. It is worth mentioning that the Arabs did not insist that the Iranian should convert to Islam but the Iranians gradually converted to it by themselves and the fire temples in central and southern areas of this land were burning during several centuries.

The fertile lands, huge wealth, and Iran’s suitable geographical location appealed to be the main motivations for the Arabs who were searching for a place to immigrate. The culture of these two nations was gradually blended and the Iranian-Islamic culture emerged accordingly. One of the biggest impacts of Arab immigration was the development of urbanism, a tendency that began during the Sassanid Empire but was expanded and flourished in the Islamic era.

Nasir Ol Molk Mosque, 19 Century AD, Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by Alexander Mazurkevich/ Shutterstock

The First Two Centuries of Islam

The first two centuries after the advent of Islam in Iran is known by the slow conversion of locals to Islam, numerous political and religious movements and the lack of an independent government. In Umayyad time, Iranians did not experience appropriate economic and cultural conditions which were mainly because of the Arab racism who felt superior against the Iranians. Such led to the establishment of anti-Umayyad movements.

In this time, many Shiite elites and holy figures of the country immigrated to various parts especially to the impassable land of Tabaristan to escape from the Umayyad rulers. This is one of the reasons behind the existence of numerous holy shrines scattered all over in Iran.

In 749 A.D., the Umayyad ruling over the Islamic lands came to its end by the rebellion of Abu Muslim and Abbasid Caliphs. During the Abbasid caliphs and rulers, Iranians who were good at administrative positions found their way in the court of the rulers. Having power and influence in the court led drastically to the condition improvement of the Iranians. At the same time, there were some movements against Abbasid Caliphate such as political independence which were all suppressed.

The Abbasid’s golden age was during the governance of Harun Al-Rashid. After Harun, Abbasid became weaker and the Caliphs had to hand over some parts of Iran to their agents to provide the needed funding of their courts. One of these parts was the Great Khorasan that included the Sistan region as well.

Finally, in the ninth century and after two centuries of silence, the first semi-independent government was established entitled the Tahirid dynasty (821-873 A.D.). Although it was a short dynasty in length, it paved the way for the upcoming dynasties to gain power with the main goal of freedom.

Iran After Islam – Brass candlestick, 17 Century AD
Photo by Ibrahim Khadem Bayyat / Publisher: ICHTO

Iran After the Tahirid Dynasty

After the overthrow of Tahirid Dynasty, 15 dynasties came to the throne, each of which with a significant role in the culture, civilization and socio-political system in Iran. During some of these dynasties such as Samanid (819-999) and Timurid (1370-1507), art and culture were highly flourished.

A Focus on architecture was made in Ilkhanate (1256-1335) and Safavid (1501-1736) Empires. From Safavid time, Shia (one of the two main branches of Islam) became for the first time the official religion of the country. During the Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925), the first instances of the country’s encounter with modernity were formed, on the other hand, Iran was influenced by the Constitutional Revolution as well, which happened under the effect of European Revolutions.

However, modernity (e.g., road construction) reached its peak in the Pahlavi Dynasty (1925-1979). In a religious-based country, insistence on modern elements that are not defined well for its followers can lead to the dissatisfaction of the people and religious figures. Such resulted in the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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The holy shrine of Fatima Masoumeh is one of the most important religious places in Iran, located in Qom.

Fatima Masumeh, the sister of Imam Reza, the eighth Shiite Imam, passed away on her travel to Iran once visiting her brother, she was buried in Qom.

The holy shrine of Fatima Masoumeh is one of the most important religious places in Iran, located in Qom. Masoumeh is the sister of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Imam, who passed away on her way to visit her brother. In the 9th century, Lady Fatima Masumeh and some of Imam Reza’s followers started a journey to Khorasan, where Imam Reza was spending his days in exile. On the road, Lady Masumeh got sick and passed away in Qom in a place known as Balan Garden.

In different eras, different constructs were built over the grave of Lady Fatima Masumeh, which all are a proof of the Iranian’s devotion to the descendants of the Prophet of Islam. When the Seljuq kings had the throne, Amir Abulfazl Araghi, made a domed mausoleum that was decorated with stucco and tile works.

The dome was about 14 meters tall. The shrine is filled with magnificent tiles and inscriptions and has an area of about 13.527 m2. It includes sections such as courtyard, iwan, mosque, school and women section.

The main courtyard of the place is known as Atigh and the Iwan of the courtyard was built at the time of Shah Ismail during Safavid Empire and later it was completed by his daughter. The Eastern and Western sections of the place, however, were added by the order of Fath Ali Shah, the second Qajar King. There are 14 halls (iwan) in this place, representing the 14 Shiite Imams, which are lavishly decorated with the best form of tile work and each one has a name

Feyzieh School on the northern part of the courtyard is a four-Iwan mosque with about 200 rooms (Hojreh) and it was built at the time of Safavid Kings, although it was completed in the Qajar’s Era when the southern Iwan was built. Shah Abbas the Second, Shah Soleyman (Solomon), Shah Safi and Shah Sultan Hossein of Safavid era and Fath Ali Shah and Mohammad Shah of Qajar dynasty were all buried here.

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Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque – Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran

The architecture of pre-Islamic Iran is divided into two styles of “Parsian” and “Parthian”.

Parsian Style

it is the first architectural style in Iran starting from Achaemenid era until the invasion of Alexander (from 6th to 4th B.C). Rectangular spaces with columned halls, construction of buildings on platform, introverted style, using wooden ceilings, carved stones, plinth and capital, decoration of entrance and glazed tile in interior sectors are among the main features of Parsian architecture.

Parthian Style

As the name suggests, Parthian Style is the architecture used by the Parthian, it includes diversity in patterns, introverted style, symmetry in construction of palaces and temples, increase in the height of buildings, curved arches and domes, squinches below the domes, using local materials like rubble, adobe, brick, mud, and stucco work.

Iran’s Architecture from the Advent of Islam to Seljuk (6^th to 11^th centuries)

In spite of the advent of Islam, for years, Iran’s architectural style was dependent on the past elements. After that, Muslim artists introduced new forms, buildings, and constructs like mosque, school, bridge, castle and caravanserai with respect to previous artistic features especially Sassanid ones and inspired Islamic mind-set.

At the beginning of Islamic time, more attention was paid to the construction of mosque. The mosques usually had simple structures, but from this time, we witnessed the rise of Muqarnas decorative designs (decorations made of brick, tile, stone, plaster and wood) as an ornament of the mosque. The Muqarnas decorative styles used in Gonbad-e Qabus tower is one of the earliest examples of it in 10th century. Besides, Ribat-i Mahi, contemporary to Gonbad-e Qabus tower, has muddy brick and stucco decorations as well and acts as a precedent for the more lavish decorations of Seljuk and Ilkhanate Eras.

Iran’s Architecture from Seljuk to Timurid (11^th to 15^th Centuries)

Seljuk dynasty (11th century) is one of the most outstanding periods of Iran’s architecture. The construction of schools was popular in this time and many schools were built in the cities of Baghdad, Neyshabur, Marv, Rey and Hyrcania (current Gorgan). The plans of most of the buildings in this era was Four-Iwan design (Chahar Iwani) with stucco and brick as their prominent decorations. Iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. They are mostly build in exterior space of the buildings having entrance/ exit spaces. Different buildings such as mosque, school, tomb and caravanserai were constructed in this era as well. The splendour and glory of Seljuk architecture are completely visible in Jameh mosque of Isfahan. Although, Jameh mosque of Isfahan is the result of continual construction, reconstruction, additions and renovations of 15 centuries of Islamic Era, the most beautiful and important part of the mosque belongs to Seljuk Dynasty. It is interesting to know that the use of tile as a decorative element has become popular since the end of 10th century. The oldest examples are the tiles of Kharraqan towers in Qazvin which were built in Seljuk Dynasty.

Preserving the Seljuk architectural styles including Four-Iwan design, Ilkhanate architecture entered a new stage; Iwan became higher with narrow width and the walls got narrower as well. Decorations like stucco, tile work and brick with special patterns adorned buildings. Mihrabs of Isfahan Jameh Mosque, Urmia and Oshtorjan mosques are the obvious proofs of the mastery in stucco art in that era.

During Timurid dynasty, the art of mosaic tiling reached its zenith, it is the art of the assembling of small pieces of coloured tiles to make an image. Mosques like Goharshad in Mashhad, Blue in Tabriz, Khargerd Ghiasieh School in Khorasan and some buildings in Herat and Bukhara show the importance and application of this art in religious buildings.

In this era, Grand Khorasan in east of Iran played an important role in development of architecture as well. Khorasan was the origin of lots of innovations in architecture that spread it to other parts of the country. Two-Iwan style was used in Khorasan for the first time and it was one of the first cities that the traces of turquoise tile are found in, this style can be observed in Mosques of Zuzan, Gonabad and Forumad.

Iranian Architecture Infographic / Historic Imam Mosque – Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
Photo by Alexandre Rotenberg / Shutterstock
Infographic by Negar Ganji

Iran’s Architecture from Safavid to the Contemporary Era

The 16th and 17th centuries are known as the period of flourishment of Islamic arts in Iran. In the shadow of the support of Safavid’s kings, art and architecture advanced drastically. The majority of buildings in Safavid era such as mosques, schools, and caravanserais were constructed in a four-Iwan style and Muaraq (Mosaic) and Haft Rang (Seven-Coloured) tiles were the main decorations used in the buildings, the template of tiles were square which were glazed and seven colors were used to design them. Calligraphy on tile became common in decoration of religious buildings as well. Public places like mosque, bridge, bathhouse, water reservoir and specially caravanserai were built more than ever. Amin Abad caravanserai in Isfahan, Deh-bid caravanserai on the road of Isfahan to Shiraz and the numerous Abbasi caravanserais built all over the country were important caravanserais of this period.

After the fall of Safavid Dynasty, the same architectural style of that time continued like before but it was not as glorious as before. Kalat Naderi Palace (Khorshid Palace) in Khorasan province (Afsharid era) and Vakil complex in Shiraz (Zandiyeh era) are outstanding buildings of this period. After this period and with the beginning of Qajar Reign, architecture was the centre of attention again. Some of the buildings from Qajar era like Al-Nabi Mosque in Qazvin, the Haj Ali Agha complex in Kerman, Imam Mosque, Sepahsalar Mosque and school in Tehran, as well as Golestan palace are the examples of the breathtaking architecture of Qajar era.

Contemporary Architecture

The contemporary architecture of Iran starts from early 19th century and continues up to now. Architectural structures of buildings in this time were the combination of traditional and western architecture styles which were witnessed in constructs like Shahrbani Palace, Marble Palace and Post Office building of Tehran, or modern architectural style was entirely used.

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Tekyeh of Moaven-al-Molk – Kermanshah, Kermanshah province, Iran
Photo by IsoGFX via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

In Iranian culture, these two words (Tekyeh & Hussainiya) are sometimes used for a special place wherein mourning ceremonies and religious Ta’zieh (a Muslim passion play celebrated by the Shiʽa in Muharram) are held and sometimes they are used separately i.e. Hussainiya is a place for mourning, Rawda khwani (the Shia Iranian Muslim ritual of the Mourning of Muharram) and Sineh Zani (a common form of mourning ritual in which mourners beat on their chest) and Tekyeh is a place for performing Ta’zieh. There is no proof for existence of Hussainiya in Iran before Safavid dynasty or even during that period.

Tekyeh of Moaven-al-Molk – Kermanshah, Kermanshah province, Iran
Photo by IsoGFX via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

The exact date of formation of Tekyeh in Iran is unknown, but it is believed that it was built in Safavid dynasty for Ta’zieh. The architectural structure of Tekyeh consists of a building with/without roof, a platform in internal space with two stairs in both sides or a gentle slope for horses to pass over there, a passage all around the platform for horse riding, a place for audience to watch the ceremony, and a locker room. They have several entrances, some are for the audiences and some others for the actors of Ta’zieh and their horses.

Ta’zieh and Tekyeh were highly flourished in Qajar dynasty. Tekyeh of Hasan Khan Moaven-al-Molk in Kermanshah province and Tekyeh of Dolat in Tehran province (destroyed in 1946) are the most well-known ones.

Tekyeh of Amir Chakhmaq – Yazd, Yazd province, Iran
Photo by Babak.masarat via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

It can be certainly said that in all cities and villages of Iran that the Shia live in, there are always Hussainiya. Hussaniya of Haj Ghaffar (in Maragheh city) and Hussainiya of Mirza Mohsen Mojtahed (in Ardabil city) are the oldest ones in Iran which are considered as tourism attraction.

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This Caravanserai is located 67 Km away from the main road that connects Yazd to Kerman and is known to be one of the many Caravanserais that was built by the order of the Safavid King Shah Abbas. The place is known for its circular plan with about 1500 m² of total area. The circular plan was used in the places facing the threat of Sand Storm. Zein-o-Din has a gate in the south part of the construct and five watch towers, one is placed against the gate, in the north side, two on the West and two on the East. The towers are built in form of semi-circles and placed 20 meters from each other. The Caravanserai has different sections such as the Shah-Neshin (Royal Section), Stable, Yards, and Hojreh (rooms).

The main yard of the caravanserai, the one placed in the center of the construct is a Dodecagon surrounded by the rooms. The Shah Neshin, which is the biggest and most luxurious rooms of the caravanserai, is placed in the northern side of the courtyard. This room has a Badgir (wind catcher) that is used to cool the room and other sections of the caravanserai. The Hojreh or rooms are octagonal construct with small square shaped Iwans in front of them and walls that are filled with niches. The only way of entering the room is via the door that opens to the courtyard and unlike the rooms in traditional houses of Iran, these rooms are not linked to each other.

The roof is covered with bricks, there are 43 guarding sections placed in the circular roof of the place. The caravanserai is mostly built of brick, plaster, lime and tile. There are also some sections that massive rocks were used as a form of foundation. As it was mentioned, the caravanserai most likely dates back to the Shah Abbas time and was made around 1587 to 1628. Together with Zizeh Caravanserai in Kashan, they make the only two circular caravanserai of Iran.

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Vank is a splendid monastery in Isfahan with a gilded ceiling and exquisite paintings. its origin dates back to the early 17^th century when in the south of Zayande-rood river a neighborhood was established for the Armenians who were forced to immigrate to Iran, a large group of them lived in one of Isfahan’s neighborhood and called it Jolfa.

After the large immigration, Armenians decided to build their social facilities and religious buildings used for both religious and cultural functions. From 1604 to 1606, a small church was built that later was destroyed, because it could not inhabit the increasing population of Armenian in Iran. Then a splendid church was built under the supervision of Archbishop David that took nine years to finish.

Vank cathedral follows the architecture of Saint Stephanos Monastery in Jolfa. The church is built on a land with an area of 8732 m², and unlike the Armenian churches that were made of stone, it was made of raw clay; its exterior walls were formed with bricks and the interior walls were designed with plaster. The interior of the church follows the Armenian architecture; however, the exterior has an Iranian architecture style. The church has two domes, the small one stands on public seats and the huge dome is situated in the front of the church’s sanctuary, and like many Iranian domes, it is double cased. The Vank cathedral consists of a clock tower, a printing place, a library, a museum, a prayer hall, a bell tower and an administration place.

Clock tower is a three story building and stands upon the entrance of the church. A big, 300 kg clock dominates its second floor. The first printing office of Iran and the Middle East is located here. It was built in 1640 under the administration of Khachatur Kesaratsi from the Armenian diocese of Isfahan. The press that was brought by an Armenian from Europe in 1844 has been kept in the church museum as well. The treasury of the library dates back to the Armenians’ great migration when they left everything behind except their books that were brought to Iran. From 1770 to 1790, because of the social conditions, many of the books were sold. After some years, and with much effort, all the books were re-collected. In 1884, part of the church was dedicated to make a library, which is situated in the west side of church.

After the museum’s entrance and after passing the corridor, in the right side of the ramp, a bell tower is seen. In the right side of this tower, an inscription in blue surrounded by crusader stones exist that were took from the destroyed church of Jolfa of Isfahan. In addition, a memorial monument in the left side of bell tower commemorate the Armenians genocide in 1915 by the Ottomans. Furthermore, every year on April 23^rd a ceremony is held to honor the Armenians martyrs. The two tombs under the bell tower are dedicated to an Armenian solider and an Armenian head of army.

The edifice of museum was constructed in 1871. It is a place to hold the luxurious goods that were donated by the Armenians to be held and be a reminder of who their ancestors were. Today there are large numbers of Bibles kept in the museum that one of them is the smallest bible in the world that was written in seven languages and weights only seven grams. It also includes exquisite collection which has commands issued by the Safavid kings and governors about the Armenians. This is a very important and significant collection for the study of Armenian history in Iran. Other objects held in this museum consist of the paintings of the European painters that were donated to the church, some valuable manuscripts, the oldest book that was established in Isfahan and the first press.

The prayer hall is like a parallelogram that is divided in two quadrilateral parts, the first part is prayer hall and the second part is the dome chamber. All the interior surface of the dome and alter are painted with Biblical scenes of Adam and Eve creation story. The exterior part of the dome is without decoration with simple bricks.

The administration place is located in the southern part of the monastery and goes back to the region of Nasser Adin Shah. Registering the death, birth, and marriage of the Armenians, certificates like complaints and judicial proceedings were conducted here.

The Archbishop residence is a two story building that is located in the east part of the monastery and in front of the museum. There are also some tombs in the churchyard that are dedicated to the political representatives of the European countries that passed away in Isfahan. Today Vank cathedral is a mother church of Armenians.

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Photo by Nicola e Pina via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus located in Chaldiran County, West Azerbaijan province is one of the most famous and most visited Armenian churches in Iran. The monastery is known as Gharah Klisa or Gharah Church among locals. Gharah in Azari means black referring to the black stones of the structure. This church built originally in 68 CE is the tomb of Thaddeus who was martyred in Armenia in 66 CE. However, the Monastery of St. Thaddeus was destroyed and rebuilt in different historical periods.

For example, Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire (1259-1355 CE), and his grandson Hulagu Khan destroyed a large part of this structure. Later in 1319, Khaje Nasir al-Din Tosi, the minster of Hulagu, rebuilt it. The monastery was also rebuilt by the order of Shah Abbas the first to support Armenians who sought refuge inside Iran. The decorations of the structure were later enhanced by the order of Abbas Mirza, the crown prince of Fath Ali Shah, the second king of the Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925).

In 1691, the façade of the monastery was adorned with black stones and in 1810, white stones were added to the structure by Simon Beznoni, the Maku’s bishop and Father Superior of the monastery. Importantly, along with two other Armenian monuments in West Azerbaijan province (the Monastery of Saint Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzorthe), the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus was inscribed on the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2008.

Every year in late Tir (the first month of summer) and the first day of Mordad (the second month of summer), coinciding with the murder of St. Thaddeus, a large group of Armenians visit the monastery and hold a ceremony in his honor.

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Located in the Arg Square in Southern Tehran, the Bazar has several corridors that are over 10 kilometers in length. Tehran’s bazaar is one of the most important places of trading and selling goods in Iran, and it is an amazing fundamental and economical structure. A market that its main structure is a heritage of the Qajar era.

When Agha Mohammad Khan of Qajar period was the king, the Bazaar started a time of booming that continued for several years. In these times, different segments of the Bazaar was restored, new sections were added and many buyers and sellers from all over Iran came here. Naser Al Din Shah, the Fourth Qajar King, ordered the construction of a portal that today is known as Grand Bazar. Without a doubt, Naser Al din Shah was the man that made the most changes in the Bazaar. The changes that made the tradesmen so powerful, they could influence the political decisions of the governmental officials. Although the development of Bazaar helped with the financial situation of the country, it made the rulers less powerful. When the money was at the hand of a group of traders then they would want a saying in the political decisions that affected them as well. So the power the king gave them was used against him and later his son when the traders of Bazaar became the main supporters of the oppositional groups that wanted constitution and limitation of Monarchy’s power.

Tehran’s bazaar is one of the most important places of trading and selling goods in Iran, and it is an amazing fundamental and economical structure. A market that its main structure is a heritage of the Qajar era.

The current architecture of the grand bazaar is very complex, the winding corridors, the traditional ventilation system in the ceiling, the decorations and sections of the bazaar all can prove the magnificent architecture used to build this bazaar. The place wasn’t always this complex. Tehran bazaar was developed over time, for example parts of the market was roofed due to summer heat. These developments also took place in the service spaces so that cafe, gymnasium, baths, mosques and religious site were made. There were constantly new parts constructed and added to the old part in order to trade goods for individual buyers. Gradually, there were special arcades for different type of products in the marketplace. The new sectors had their own bath and mosque in a way that they could run their feasts, mourning ceremonies, and other occasions.

One of the most important parts of the Old Market is Sabze Meydan (the green square) in the northern part of the market that dates back to the Safavid period. In the Qajar era, by the order of Amir Kabir, fundamental changes were applied to this square. This is the central place for gatherings to celebrate religious, political and social occasions. The renovation and refurbishing plan for the grand bazaar has been started over years, numerous activities have been happening such as: floor lamps, structure-building, the porch of the dome and roof and the building.

The grand bazaar of Tehran is on top list of all the visitors that come to Tehran from abroad and even other cities of Tehran. A very crowded and alive place which can take you to old days of Tehran. Grand bazaar of Tehran offers visitors a chance to enjoy good food as well with various traditional cuisine restaurants and fast food. The food here may not be very cheap but it is definitely worth your money because you will receive good quality food. These restaurants, which some date back to more than 100 years ago, show the visitors what authentic Persian meal is. Even one of the oldest pizzeria in Tehran is located in this market.

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The Saint Stepanos Monastery is located in the Dare Sham Village in the border territory with Nakhchivan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.  Since Stephanos was the first martyr of Christianity, there are different churches named after him across the world. The Stephanos Monastery belongs to the followers of Gregory (Gregory the Illuminator) who resides in Armenia but a group of them forcefully immigrated to Iran in the 9th century. When immigrated to Iran, they then built this church in a valley on a remnant of a Sassanid citadel and dedicated it to Saint Stepanos. The building that was later rebuilt during the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736) has stonewalls and seven watchtowers.

The church consists of three main sections including the main chapel, Daniel Stove, and a bell tower in addition to some secondary structures. The bell tower belongs to the Qajar era (1789-1925) when the church was renewed by the order of Abbas Mirza. The structure is decorated with some relief angel, stars, and bergamot. The bell tower is located on a two-story iwan connected to the southern wall of the church. The tower has a metal cross on its head and its body is made of red stone with fascinating capitals.

The main area of the building consists of a prayer room that is 90.13 and 80.12 meters long and wide, respectively. Its entrance is located on the western side with an embossed wooden door belonging to the Qajar era. Around the door is also decorated with Muqarnas arches and also a Persian inscription with an Arminian translation dating back to the Qajar era. Following the tradition of church architecture, the structure has a cross-like plan with a 16-side dome. There is a window on every other of these 16 sides, which provide the church with enough light. There is an alter with stairs decorated with marble stone in the eastern part of the church. The altar and the interior parts of the dome are decorated with colorful paintings of angels and different decorative plasters.

Finally, Daniel’s Stove consists of three sections including a prayer hall, a stove that is separated by a wall and located on the eastern side of the prayer hall, and at last, the place of baptism. This structure is named after Saint Daniel who was one of the saints of the 5^th century.

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The Si-o-Se-Pol Bridge was built in Isfahan City in 1602 during the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736) mainly with stones, lime, bricks, and plaster under the supervision and sponsorship by Allah Verdi Khan who was one of Shah Abbas I’s commanders-in-chief. When Isfahan was selected as the capital city in the Safavid Dynasty, Si-o-Se-Pol was one of the first monuments constructed by the order of the Shah Abbas who aimed to expand and develop the city.

The title of the bridge means “33 bridges” in Farsi referring to its two parallel rows of 33 vaulted arches on the eastern of western sides of the structure on the first floor. In the past, the bridge used to have 40 vaulted arches but after a while, seven of them were blocked and 33 remained open.

The upper floor of the bridge has two vaulted arches above each lower level’s arch and one more arch above each pier. This floor has also two narrow sidewalks on the eastern and western sides of the bridge where people can visit the river from above it.

This bridge is also called Allahveridi-Khan, Chahar-Bagh, Si-o-Se springs, the Zayandeh-Rud River, and the Jolfa Bridge but today, it is most popular as Si-o-Se-Pol. Constructed on the Zayandeh Rud River, with a length of 298 meters and a width of 13.75 meters, it is considered the longest of the historical eleven bridges in Isfahan City.

The Si-o-Se-Pol Bridge connects the southern (Chahar Bagh Abbasi Street) and northern (Chahar Bagh Bala Street) parts of Isfahan to each other. During the Safavid Dynast, an annual water festival was held in Isfahan on the 13th day of Tir, the fourth month of the solar calendar, when Iranians splashed water to each other in order to celebrate the abundance of water in an arid country. The Si-o-Se-Pol Bridge was one of the venues of the festival.

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The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is located on the eastern side of the historical Naqsh-e Jahan Square. Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Dynasty ordered the construction of this mosque in 1602 and was completed in 1619 and he named it after a clergyman of Lebanese nationality called Sheikh Lotfollah.

He was one of the biggest clergymen during the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736) who moved to Iran following his invitation by Shah Abbas to be supported in Shiite faith. Sheikh was later had the honor of supervising the royal Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and praying there as an Imam that was used both as a mosque and harem for the king.

From an architectural viewpoint, the mosque is quite simple; however, it is decorated with majestic tile working. The mosque has no four-Iwan plan (while this plan was common during the Safavid Dynasty), vaulted gallery, courtyard, and more importantly, no minaret as one of the essential parts of the Islamic mosques. This is because the mosque was built as a private mosque for the king, leading to the deletion of some essential parts of public mosques.

The whole mosque’s area accounts for 1,324 square meters and its dome is 32 meters in height and 12 meters in diameter. The mosque has a praying hall with 16 lattice windows on the top of the walls through which rays of the sun in the forms of the lattices emit inside the hall. The interwoven patterns of lights and shadows are among the attractions of this hall added to its beautiful tile works.

This praying hall located under the dome of the mosque is accessible through a corridor that starts from the portal entrance of the structure. The corridor has two lattice windows to provide enough light. The walls and dados of the mosque are decorated with mosaic tiles and enameled bricks that consist of arabesques and floral designs. The Mihrab of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is a kind of high niche Mihrab has a portal decorated with Muqarnas (a kind of Islamic vaulted decorations particularly for entrance portals) and tilework.

One of the unique features of this mosque refers to its 45-degree rotation on the north-south axis through an entrance corridor in order to adjust the direction of the mosque towards the kiblah. The architect of the mosque was Mohammad Reza Isfahani and its inscriptions were made by calligrapher Alireza Abbasi with white tiles on a blue background.

He is in fact the most famous calligrapher during the reign of Shah Abbas but Bagher Banna was another famous calligrapher of the time, who contributed significantly to the inscriptions of this mosque as well.

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The Royal mosque is the masterpieces of architecture, tilework and carpentry, and was built in the seventeenth century. It is situated on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan square and opposite the Qeysarieh portal entrance. Its construction coincided with the 24^th year of reign of Shah Abbas, in 1611 and took eighteen years to be complete. The great master of tile working Ali Akbar Isfahani finished the mosque in the last year of Shah Abbas reign, however, the decoration of the mosque completed after his death.

There are some stories about the construction of this Mosque, the most famous of which is that Shah Abbas was in a hurry and ordered the construction of mosque to finish quickly. However, the architect rejected Shah’s order and went into hiding. The Angered king ordered search parties to find the architect. However, no matter how much they tried, they could not find the architect. Years passed, the mosque was left unfinished, and no one could understand the complexity of his work, but suddenly the architect returned. He appeared in front of the king and explained that the mosque needed to be left for a time to subside but since he knew the king’s haste, he had to run away. The king understood his reasoning and pardoned him.

It is situated on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan square and opposite the Qeysarieh portal entrance. Its construction coincided with the 24^th year of reign of Shah Abbas, in 1611 and took eighteen years to be complete.

The whole mosque is covered with a style of tiling known as seven-colored tiles. The royal mosque is based on four-iwan plan with the southern iwan being 33 m high with two flanking minarets that each are 48 meters. Southern iwan is usually the most lavishly decorated part of Iranian mosque and leads to the main Mihrab. The dome stands on southern iwan and is decorated by blue tiles and white calligraphy. The dome is 52 m high with a diameter of 21 m. It is the largest double cased dome of Isfahan, the space of the two layers of dome is about 13 meter and has the function of a traditional echo system. The Royal Mosque Also has two symmetrical prayer halls that are located on the southwest and southeast and two schools at eastern and western sides, which are named Naseri and Soleimaniyeh.

The portal entrance is designed with muqarnas and flanking arcades, with two minarets that are each 42-meter. The mosque entrance faces north, because the shape of Naqsh-e Jahan Square required such angle, but to get the direction to match the Kiblah two corridors were built that caused a detour around the north iwan through and lead to courtyard. The simple architectural trick both solved the problem of Kiblah and also added to the beauty of Mosque. The magnificent Mosque was used by the royal family and befitted their station; it is one of the most beautiful examples of Safavid architecture and decoration.

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