Masjed-e-Jomeh - The Friday Mosque

The Masjed-e-Jomeh or Friday Mosque is equivalent in importance to a cathedral in a Christian city. The Friday Mosque in Isfahan is a dynamic expression of some 400 years of Iranian Architecture encapsulated into the small area it occupies. In some ways it therefore brings together many of the themes and decorative ideas which achieved individual expression in other monuments throughout the city. It is almost as though, by spending a day or two in this mosque, you can see most of the rest of the architecture of the city.

The plan above shows the mosque. The lower, southern side, is the oldest along with the prayer chamber to the north. The western side is next in antiquity but the north-eastern corner also holds much that is unusual and rare.

The second picture shows the entrance to the mosque. Although the main entrances are open at prayer times, this is the only entrance open at any other times, and leads off a small bazaar next to the Meidan-e-Qiyam, which is probably where the taxi will drop you if you take one. You will need to buy a ticket when you enter the mosque but you should ask the caretaker to show you the Shabestan when buying it. He will appreciate a substantial tip for this, but it is one of the most important constituents of the mosque and well-worth paying for. You need to agree a time to meet him outside the door next to the Western Eivan.

The Mosque needs also to be seen in context as one end of a dynamic stream of passageways that form a link between the Meidan-e-Shah and its treasures at one extreme and the older, northern, populist parts of the city, epitomised by the Mosque and its associated bazaars at the other. Between these two extremes, like a river, the bazaar flows, moving the people between state and religion, between hard work and aspirations. Other bazaars and passageways lead away from the mosque towards older, less well documented parts of the city, with obscure and poorly understood monuments to the north, west and east. It thus provides a terminus and a springboard, a bridge between the mediaeval and renaissance parts of the city.

We have divided our treatment of the mosque into sections in order that viewers with a specific area in mind, e.g. the Shabestan of Oljeitu, can go directly to the object of their interest; however you will also note that a comprehensive tour of the mosque is also available for the casual visitor. Areas marked Not Ready are still under construction

The Southern Cloisters
The Southern Eivan (The Keeper's Porch)
The Sanctuary of Nizam Al-Mulk
The Western Eivan (The Professor's Porch)
The Shabestan
Taj Al-Mulk - (The Darvish's Porch)
Madrasa-ye-Omar - (Omar's Porch)
The Eastern Eivan (The Student's Porch)
The Central Pool

Enter the Mosque

West to the Darb-e-Imam

North to the Tomb of Baba Qassem

South to the Shrine of Imamzadeh Ismail

Take a Taxi.

Other Mosques and Shrines

Isfahan Home Page

04-March-95