Shiraz has long been known as a historical, cultural, artistic, and literary city. Among the historical monuments and religious places of this city is the Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque of Shiraz. This mosque was built in the 19th century.
It was constructed by the order of Mirza Hassan Ali nicknamed Nasir al-Mulk. He was one of the nobles of Shiraz and one of the elders of the Qajar dynasty. The construction of the mosque started in 1876 AD and was completed in approximately 12 years. In June of 1978, this mosque was listed among Iran’s national monuments.
In the front of the mosque, there is an inscription on which the name of the architect is written. Mohammad Hassan, the architect of the mosque, left a poem by Saadi at the top of the entrance portal of the mosque:
غرض نقشی است کز ما باز ماند که هستی را نمی بینیم بقایی
It is the purpose of the role that we are left behind, that we do not see the existence of existence
مگر صاحب دلی روزی ز رحمت کند در حق استادان دعائی
Unless the owner of the heart has mercy on the masters of prayer
The word “Masters” has been changed to “Darvishan” (Dervishes) in Saadi’s poem. But the architect of the mosque has changed it to “Masters”.
Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque has beautiful tiles with pink flowers. For this reason, it is known as the Pink Mosque. This mosque is one of the old mosques located in God-e Araban neighborhood.
The sunlight shining through the stained glass windows of the mosque’s nave has turned its interior into one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. The tiling and muqarnas work of the mosque is unique. This mosque does not have a dome.
According to the assumptions we have about mosques, we realize that there is a reason for the absence of a dome. This shows that the mosque had a local use and was not built for the public of Shiraz.
Architecture of Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque
The main entrance of Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque is decorated with seven colored tiles. Pink roses and lilies can be seen on each of these tiles.
After passing through the front of the mosque, we reach the vestibule (covered space connecting the courtyard to the alley) which is built with bricks. Continuing the path in the vestibule, we enter the mosque’s courtyard.
Passing through the vestibule of the mosque, we reach the quadrangular courtyard of the mosque. In the center of the courtyard is a pond with a length and width of 16.5 and 4.5 meters. Upon entering the courtyard, you can see the mosque’s seven-color tiling around the inner walls of the building.
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque has two shabestan (prayer halls), which are located on the west and east. The reason for building two shabestan on opposite sides is to use each of them in different seasons of the year. For example, the east (roofed) porch facing direct sunlight is not built to be used in summer.
The western shabestan used to have stunning decorations in the past. It was decorated with bricks and paintings of red flowers. But due to the repairs done on the western shabestan 70 years ago, it lost its beauty. With these repairs, the walls of this section were covered with turquoise tiles.
In addition to Shabestan, the eyvans of the mosque are also built in two parts, north and south. The north eyvan is the main one. But the south eyvan does not have a special use and was created to compare with the north eyvan. Since the south eyvan has two ntrances, this comparison is not done correctly. The doors of the south eyvan opend into the room and the minaret doors.
Among other particular beauties and architectural features of Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque, we can mention the type of doors and windows. The carpenters of the mosque used beautiful colors in the construction of these doors and windows. That is why you can observe the dance of color and light when the light shines inside. You would lone to watch it for hours.
Do not Miss Visiting This Attraction
The type of architecture and decorations used in the construction of each mosque is unique and attracts the attention of every viewer. Nasir al-Molk Mosque in Shiraz is one of the old mosques, whose architecture is fascinating and eye-catching.
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque is currently one of the most visited mosques in Iran. Many Iranian and foreign tourists visit it daily. Visitors come to this place to see the light passing through the colored glass inside the mosque.
If you travel to Shiraz personally or taking an Iran tour package, visit the beautiful Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque in the morning when it is sunny. This mosque is located near Imamzadeh Shah Cheragh, another tourist attraction of Shiraz. The busiest time to visit is 7:30 am to 11:30 am.
