The Wheel and Axle

Persia 2017: Exploring Shiraz, Part 2

by on Oct.10, 2017, under My Life, Travel & Culture

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Nasir-ol-Molk: The Pink Mosque
Shiraz, Iran
25 September 2017

Nasir-ol-Molk (also known as Nasiralmulk) Mosque is a mosque in Shiraz near the Shāh Chérāgh. Built during the Qajar dynasty in the late 1800s, it is known as the Pink Mosque because of the pink tiles that are used around the structure. It also utilizes a lot of five-concaved design elements known as Panj Kāse.

The mosque is also perhaps even more famous for its stained glass windows that provide a glowing mosaic of colors across one of the rooms when the early morning sunlight hits them. It gives you an almost spiritual feeling of both awe and serenity when you experience it. The best time to visit is early morning, around 7:30AM when it opens to the public, when the rays of light pass through the windows. Come in as early as possible to avoid the crowds of tourists that come in so you can, at least temporarily, enjoy some personal meditative or reflective moments.

The Pink Mosque is one of the places you cannot miss when visiting Shiraz. In fact, we extended our stay in Shiraz by one night because we initially didn’t know morning was the best time to visit it, and when we dropped by Saturday afternoon, we were advised the sun was not at an optimal angle. Since we had the Persepolis / Necropolis / Pasargadae scheduled all-day tour on Sunday, we had to come back on Monday morning before we headed off to the City of Isfahan, which we originally planned to travel to on Sunday night. That’s how much we knew we cannot miss this beautiful mosque.

So plan accordingly.


Qur’an Gate
Shiraz, Iran
25 September 2017

The Gate of Qur’an is located at the northeastern entrance of the City of Shiraz. It is between two mountains, one of which has a waterfall that can be seen by folks passing by in the busy highway.

In the old times, two hand-written copies of the Qur’an were placed in a room at the top of the gate. Travelers would then pass through the gate and underneath the arch to be blessed by the Holy Book for a safe journey. The copies of the Qur’an are now in the Pars Museum in Shiraz, and the gate itself has now become more ceremonial in nature as modern highways have been built.

Across the highway from the Qur’an Gate, against the other mountain, is an elevated park with steps, fountains, pools, and columns. The park (known by some as the Cradle of Vision) offers a wonderful view not just of the Qur’an Gate but of the entire city as well.


Ali Ibn Hamza Mosque
Shiraz, Iran
25 September 2017

On the way to the bus terminal out of Shiraz, our driver took us for a quick stop at the Ali Ibn Hamza Mosque, a holy shrine of its namesake. Due to time constraints because of reserved bus tickets, we could only view the beautiful mosque from the courtyard for a few minutes. We had to miss going inside – which, based on pictures on the net, is a dazzling sight, and the guides are supposedly to be super friendly and accommodating. Next time, definitely.

 

Nasir-ol-Molk: The Pink Mosque

 

Qur’an Gate and The Cradle of Vision

 

Ali Ibn Hamza Mosque

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