We are in Isfahan! Yousef's hometown! He kept reminding me that his hometown is beautiful 😅
I was so excited to explore Isfahan. I saw lots of beautiful pictures of Isfahan and could not wait to explore this beautiful city.
Our hotel in Isfahan, Hasht Behesht were booked as advised as Yousef's dad.
Thanks again Yousef... and dad! 😀
A normal morning scene in Iran - people walking around carrying breads ( yes! Those are breads!) - for breakfast probably.
A morning walk in Isfahan.... this town is so beautiful!
Our first destination was to Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square.
Naqsh-e Jehan Square is the second biggest square in the world. It was built in the Safavid era. There are a lots to see at this square such as the Imam Mosque, Sheykh Lutfallah mosque (yeap, there are 2 beautiful mosque in this square), Ali Qapou Palace, Ali Qapou bazaar (the bazaar is huge! It would take days to cover!) and more!
Our first stop was at the Imam Mosque.
I was super amazed to see how beautiful this mosque is! 😍
Imam Mosque or also known as Shah Mosque, which is also called Masjid Jame' Abbasi is one of the important masterpieces of Iranian architecture and an excellent example of Islamic era architecture of Iran. It is one of the finest and the most stunning buildings in the world standing in south side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square. It is registered, along with the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This building is an unbeatable masterpiece of Persian architecture, the tile decoration and stone engraving of the eleventh century AH.
Entrance fee to this mosque for tourist is IRR800,000
The glorious and lofty entrance portal of this mosque with 2 minarets.
The arch framed by turquoise ornament and decorated with rich stalactite tilework, a distinct feature of Persian Islamic architecture... subhanallah.... sangat menakjubkan! 😍
Let's enter inside of the mosque...
The most magnificent iwan of the mosque is the one facing the Qibla.
Behind this iwan is a space which is roofed with the largest dome in the city at 52 m (171 ft) height.
The dome is double layered.
The iwan that is the one facing the Qibla
Amazing decoration!
Inside the roofted space facing the Qibla
The mimbar and the roof
The acoustic properties and reflections at the central point under the dome is an amusing interest for many visitors. That is actually proved the ingenuity of the architects when creating the dome... the acoustic effect enables the Imam to speak (or the Bilal to azan) with a subdued voice and still be heard clearly by everyone inside the building.
The 5 of us - featuring the beautiful doom!
The mimbar where the imam would lead jemaah prayers.
I noticed the place where the imam stand for jemaah prayer is slightly lower than the building floor.
Later in Syiraz, I found out the reason behind it - stay tune for my Syiraz post okay 😆
I guess this is where the Friday khutbah is read...
Check out the tiles on the wall and ceiling... subhanallah... amazing! 😍
This space is under renovation....
To the east and west of the mosque there are two madrasah (Islamic religious school)
Zamri and Izzat having a conversation with one of the imams - nothing complicated, please
The boys with the imam.
*** to be continued ***
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