Shah Mosque (Isfahan)

The Shah Mosque (Persian: مسجد شاه, lit. 'Masjed-e Shah'), also officially known as the Imam Mosque or Imam Khomeini Mosque, is a mosque located on the south side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. Its construction began in 1611, during the Safavid Empire under the order of Abbas the Great, and was completed c. 1630.

It is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture in the Islamic era. The mosque is registered, along with the Naghsh-e Jahan Square and other surrounding structures, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 6 January 1932, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran. The mosque is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20,000 rials banknote.

History

Construction

In 1598, when Shah Abbas decided to move his capital from the northwestern city of Qazvin to the central city of Isfahan, he initiated what would become one of the greatest programs in Iranian history; the complete remaking of this ancient city. By choosing the central city of Isfahan, fertilized by the Zāyandeh River ("the life-giving river"), lying as an oasis of intense cultivation in the midst of a vast area of arid landscape, he both distanced his capital from any future assaults by Iran's neighboring arch rival, the Ottomans, and at the same time gained more control over the Persian Gulf, which had recently become an important trading route for the Dutch and British East India Companies.

Shah Abbas's urban planning focused on two key features: the Chahar Bagh avenue, flanked at either side by all the prominent institutions of the city, such as the residences of all foreign dignitaries, and the Naqsh-e Jahan Square ("Exemplar of the World"). Prior to his ascent to power, Iran had a decentralized power structure, in which different institutions battled for power, including both the military (the Qizilbash) and governors of the different provinces making up the empire.