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Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

Bedecked in blue patterns, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, is a great place to start your discovery of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square and its historic buildings

Isfahan, Iran

Coordinates: 32.657454, 51.678535

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture that was built during the Safavid Empire, standing on the eastern side of Naqsh-i Jahan Square, Esfahan, Iran.

Construction of the mosque started in 1603 and was finished in 1619. It was built by the chief architect Mohammadreza Isfahani, during the reign of Shah Abbas I of Persia.

Of the four monuments that dominated the perimeter of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, this one was the first to be built.

This mosque is a masterpiece of architecture and tiling built in that period. This mosque is located on the west side of the square and opposite The Ali Ghapou Palace and hosts many tourists every day.

The mosque tiles are one of the most beautiful tile works of Iran. You can visit the King’s Bath, the Qeysarie Gate, and several other tourist attractions near it.

The purpose of this mosque was for it to be private to the royal court (unlike the Shah Mosque, which was meant for the public). For this reason, the mosque does not have any minarets and is smaller.

It was not until centuries later, when the doors were opened to the public, that ordinary people could admire the effort that Shah Abbas had put into making this a sacred place

To avoid having to walk across the Square to the mosque, Shah Abbas had the architect build a tunnel spanning the piazza from the Ali Qapu Palace to the mosque.

Its construction was completed in 1619, namely around 400 years ago.

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