The Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque (; ), also known as the Pink Mosque (), is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

located in

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

, in the province of Fars,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. Completed in 1888 CE, the

Qajar era The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

mosque is located in the Gowd-e Araban district of Shiraz, south of Lotfali Khan Zand Street, next to the Shāh Chérāgh Mosque. The mosque includes extensive

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

in its

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

, and displays other traditional elements such as the ''Panj Kāse'' ("five concaved") design. The mosque was added to the

Iran National Heritage List Iran National Heritage List is a register of nationally significant monuments, places, buildings, events, etc., officially registered under the National Heritage Preservation Act of 1930. According to Article 1 of this law, "All the industrial mon ...

in 1955, administered by the

Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran () is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. It is administered and funded by the Government of Iran. It was f ...

. The mosque is a major tourist attraction in Shiraz, especially when the light hits the stained glass at sunrise.

History

The mosque was constructed between 1876 and 1888 and is under use under the protection of the Endowment Foundation of Nasir-ol-Molk. Construction of the mosque was commissioned by Mirza Hasan Ali Nasir ol-Molk, one of the lords and aristocrats of Shiraz and the son of Ali Akbar Qavam ol-Molk, the ''kalantar'' of Shiraz.

Architecture

The mosque was completed in the

Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...

style; designed by Mohammad Hasan-e-Memār, a Persian architect who had also built the noted

Eram Garden Eram Garden (, ''Bāgh-e Eram'') is a historic Persian gardens, Persian garden in Shiraz, Iran. The garden, and the building within it, are located at the northern shore of the Khoshk River in the Fars province. History The origins of the garden ...

before the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, Mohammad Hosseini Shirazi, and Mohammad Rezā Kāshi-Sāz-e-Širāzi. There is a poem inscribed on marble on entry to the mosque and the mosque contains extensive use of blue, yellow, pink, azure, and white tiles. The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque has two Shabestans, and the interior decoration of the western (or winter) Shabestan consists of a series of arches and vaults and two rows of six columns that divide the interior into smaller sections. The western Shabestan is connected to the ''

sahn A ''sahn'' (, '), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque. Most traditional mosques have a large central ''sahn'', which is surrounded by a ''Riwaq (arcade), riwaq'' or arcade (architecture), arcade on ...

'' by seven wooden doors, each decorated by Gereh Chini, with extensive use of stained glass. The passage of light through the stained glass in red, azure, yellow, orange, and green colors is a major tourist attraction. There is a shallow and wide pool in the middle of the ''sahn''. The Nasir al-Molk Mosque has two north and south porches, each different from the other. The northern porch of the mosque has three half-arches on three sides, connected to the ''sahn'' by the fourth half-arch.

Orsi: Persian stained glass

Although stained glass is popular in churches, the earliest discovered was in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

from the 7th century CE. There is evidence of techniques and recipes for obtaining stained glass by the Persian chemist

Jabir ibn Hayyan Abū Mūsā Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (Arabic: , variously called al-Ṣūfī, al-Azdī, al-Kūfī, or al-Ṭūsī), died 806−816, is the purported author of a large number of works in Arabic, often called the Jabirian corpus. The treatises that ...

in his book ''Kitab al-Durra al-maknuna'' () published in the 8th century. Orsi windows are windows made of a mixture of wood and colorful glass during the

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

and Qajar eras. Orsi differs from stained glass used in many churches and Ottoman mosques which serve as illuminated images rather than a source of light. Light is a major feature in many mosques considering it being a major symbol of God in Islam. This is mentioned in the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

Gallery

Persian colors.jpg, The mosque ceiling مسجد نصیرالملک در شیراز.jpg, Winter prayer hall Nasir Al-Molk (28395511855).jpg, Winter prayer hall مسجد نصیرالملک شیراز ایران-Nasir ol Molk Mosque shiraz iran 03.jpg, Exterior of the mosque In Celebration of Colors at Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque Shiraz Iran.jpg, Exterior of the mosque at night Nasir ol Molk Mosque (31233735801).jpg,

Muqarna Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of I ...

s of the mosque Mezquita de Nasirolmolk, Shiraz, Irán, 2016-09-24, DD 57-59 HDR (cropped).jpg, Ceiling of the winter prayer hall Decoration Nasirolmolk mosque.jpg, Decoration of the mosque Masdjed-e Nasr ol molk.jpg, Mosaic dome interior Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque (inside).jpg, Interior 2018-09-22 Iran, Shiraz, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (winter prayer hall) (1).jpg, Winter prayer hall interior 2018-09-22 Iran, Shiraz, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (winter prayer hall) (3).jpg, Winter prayer hall interior 2018-09-22 Iran, Shiraz, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (winter prayer hall) (2).jpg, Winter prayer hall interior 2018-09-22 Iran, Shiraz, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (winter prayer hall, from the outside).jpg, Winter prayer hall exterior Nasir ol Molk Mosque, Shiraz 02.jpg,

Turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...

-style

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

References

External links