Monar-e-Chehel Dokhtaran - Brickwork on the Shaft

The wide variety of brickwork patterns and motifs on the shaft can be seen in the illustration above. Details of these can be seen by clicking on any of the anchor points below.

The decorative treatment of the minaret can be considered in seven sections as follows

1. PLINTH

The plinth is made up of an octagonal block on one side of which there is a Kufic inscription in raised brickwork, indicating the name of the patron (Abi Al Fath Nahuji) and the year of its construction. This is flanked by a pair of decorative panels made up of an interlaced design that may in fact be an elaborate Kufic Inscription

Inspect the Kufic Inscription.

Inspect the decorative side panel.

2. GREEK CROSSES: The second band, rising above the base appears to be made up of a series of lozenges, but closer inspection reveals that it is in fact a series of Greek Crosses

3. KUFIC PATTERN: The repeating horizontal pattern which forms the third part of the shaft is made up of a series of motifs like three-armed swastikas and is probably based on the kufic form of the name of Muhammad's son-in-law, 'Ali, from whose family the Shi'ites took their first leaders.

4. THE FOURTH SECTION

This is made up of two important components. The first is a brilliantly executed series of interleaved six-pointed stars and octagons laid out on a plainly bonded background. Laid on this and facing in the same direction as the inscription at the base, is a second, partially defaced inscription executed in terracotta thuluth.

Inspect the thuluth Inscription.

Inspect the decorative brickwork.

5. BAND OF KUFIC: The next section consists of a second band of highly stylised Kufic which has not yet been deciphered.

6. UPPER SHAFT AND WINDOW

The sixth part of the minaret is the main shaft made up of simple brick bonding of a similar type to that on the Western eivan of the Masjed-e-Jomeh. This is punctuated by a window from which the muezzin would have called the faithful to prayer, and forms the bulk of the illustration at the top of this page on the right. The window itself is well executed with a simple arch surmounting the recess, through which the spiral staircase in the centre of the minaret can be just seen.

Inspect the plain bonding at the base of this section.

Inspect the decorative brickwork suurrounding the window.

7. TOP OF THE MINARET: Inspect the thuluth Inscription. The most important element in this section is the decorative inscription at the top of the minaret picked out in strongly formed Kufic.

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09-May-95