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<A HREF = "outside.gif"> <IMG SRC="outsid16.gif" WIDTH=371 HEIGHT=175 ALIGN="LEFT" ALT="Exterior View"></A><H1 ALIGN="Right">Masjed-e-Imam<P>The Royal Mosque</H1><BR CLEAR="All">
<HR>
The royal mosque, formerly called the Masjed-e-Shah was the crowning architectural achievement of
<A HREF = "../glossary/abbas1.html">Shah Abbas I</A> who built it to complete the magnificent
central square of Isfahan. The mosque is celebrated for the magnificence of its <I>haft rang</I> <A
HREF = "../glossary/texture/tilework/tilework.html">tilework</A> and staggers the visitor with its
opulence and inventiveness. The view above shows the mosque as seen from the western side of
the central square. Shah Abbas sadly died before it was completed, although he put enormous pressure
on his builders and architects.<BR>
Some uncertainty surrounds the date on which the Mosque was started. According to <A HREF =
"../biblio.html">Chardin</A> work had begun in 1590, but other sources say that Shah Abbas I laid
the first stone himself in the spring of 1611. <B>'Ali Reza</B>, the great calligrapher, who was
responsible for the inscriptions in the mosque, dated the main entrance in 1616, but work was clearly
unfinished as there are records of orders being placed as late as 1630. The architect was <B>Ostad
Abu'l-Qasim</B>. There are estimated to be 18 million bricks in the building and the rivetments are
said to contain 472,500 tiles.<BR>
It represents the peak of Iranian architecture, later mosques such as the <A HREF =
"../mashakim/mashakim.html">Masjed-e-Hakim</A> are either derivative, in this case of <A HREF
= "../glossary/history.html#seljuk">Seljuk</A> originals, or overly influenced by European designs as
in the case of the 19th century <A HREF = "../massayed/massayed.html">Masjed-e-Sayyed</A>. The
great <A HREF = "../glossary/gonbad/gonbad.html">dome</A> of <A HREF =
"../madmader/madmader.html">Madrasa Mader-e-Shah</A>, The Royal Theological College, which
was completed towards the end of the <A HREF = "../glossary/history.html#safavid">Safavid</A>
period in 1714 derives its inspiration and splendour from this one, but the remainder of the complex is
disappointing.<BR>
<HR>
<A HREF = "entrance.html"> <IMG ALT="Way In"SRC ="../wayin16.gif"></A> Enter the
Mosque<BR>
<A HREF = "../ahmad/ahmad.html"> <IMG ALT="Left Arrow"SRC ="../left16.gif"></A> East to
the Shrine of Imamzadeh Ahmad<BR>
<A HREF = "../8behesht/8behesht.html"> <IMG ALT="Right Arrow"SRC ="../right16.gif"></A>
West to the Palace of Hasht Behesht<BR>
<A HREF = "../meidshah/meidshah.html"> <IMG ALT="Down Arrow"SRC ="../down16.gif"></A>
North to the Meidan-e-Shah<BR>
<HR>
<A HREF = "../taxi.html"> <IMG ALT="Taxi"SRC ="../taxbtn16.gif"></A> Take a Taxi.<BR>
<A HREF = "../masjed.html"> <IMG ALT="Mosque Icon"SRC ="../masbtn16.gif"></A> Other
Mosques and Shrines<BR>
<A HREF = "../isfahan.html"> <IMG ALT="Home Icon"SRC ="../home16.gif"></A> Isfahan Home
Page<BR>
03-February-95
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