Vakil mosque in Shiraz city in Iran
Vakil Mosque is located in shiraz city of iran. This mosque is a real feat of engineering. It has withstood a few devastating earthquakes since the 18th century. Karim Khan, the founder of the Zand dynasty, whom the mosque is named after as he ordered and financed the construction, had a hand in the design of this mosque as well. The simplicity of the material and the decorations correspond to his humble character. The interior court is perfectly symmetrical: two iwans to the south and north with a water basin in the middle. The famous Ruknabad qanat fed the basins and fountains. The vegetal motifs decorating the edifices of the two iwans are not inventive. From the singularity of the top, they spread to the infinity of the bottom, symbolizing perhaps, how humans have descended from heaven.
The interior of the prayer hall (Shabestan) is decorated with geometric patterns. In its initial form, these decorations depicted pixelated words, names of God and the prophet; later it developed as an independent form. The piece de resistance is the one-piece marble menbar next to the prayer niche. After prayer, the Imam would mount the 14 steps to give his sermon. The marble was carved out and carried from a mine in Maraghe, a city to the north west of Iran. Upon completion, Karim Khan is said to have wondered if gold would not have been a cheaper material.
In addition of Vakil mosque, Shiraz has so many other places you can visit some of them here: some of Shiraz city beauties
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