Shah Mosque Muqarnas Object Page
Title: Muqarnas at Shah Mosque
Architect: Ali Akbar Isfahani
Date: ca. 1611-1631
Location: Safavid empire Isfahan, Iran
One of the diverse architectural structures of Islamic world, muqarnas are a vaulting system composed of replicated tiered units to create a three-dimensional, honeycomb-like arrangement. Constructed under the rule of The Safavid emperor Shah Abbas I, the Shah Mosque muqarnas are covered with glazed tiles, which produce a mirroring effect of repeated geometric patterns. Suspended from the ceiling of an entrance gate, the Shah Mosque muqarnas draw the viewer’s eye upwards to Heaven and incorporate Islamic inscriptions. The Shah Mosque muqarnas convey scale and extravagance by transcending the material world through the portrayal of cosmic themes and the Islamic idea of the Absolute Truth.
A Close Up of the Shah Mosque Muqarnas
Plan of Shah Mosque
Other Applications of Muqarnas
Palatine Chapel Muqarnas
Muqarnas at Palatine Chapel, located in the royal chapel of the Norman Palance in Palermo, Italy.
Muqarnas at Lutfallah Mosque Portal
Muqarnas at the Lutfallah Mosque entrance, which is located in Isfahan, Iran and was constructed under the Safavid empire.
Muqarnas at Zumurrud Khatun Tomb
Located in Baghdad, the Zumurrud Khatun Mosque incorporates muqarnas inside the tomb of Zumurrud Khatun.