The Vakil Mosque ( fa, مسجد وکیل - ''Masjed-e Vakil'') is a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
, southern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, situated to the west of the
Vakil Bazaar
Vakil Bazaar ( fa, بازار وکیل) is the main bazaar of Shiraz, Iran, located in the historical center of the city.
It is thought that the market originally was established by the Buwayhids in the 11th century AD, and was completed mainly ...
next to its entrance. This mosque was built between 1751 and 1773, during the
Zand Zand may refer to:
* Zend, a class of exegetical commentaries on Zoroastrian scripture
* Zand District, an administrative subdivision of Iran
* Zand Boulevard, in Shiraz, Iran
* Z And, a variable star
As a tribal/clan and dynastic name
* Zand tr ...
period; however, it was restored in the 19th century during the
Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
period. ''Vakil'' means ''
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
'', which was the title used by
Karim Khan
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand ( fa, محمدکریم خان زند, Mohammad Karīm Khân-e Zand; ) was the founder of the Zand Dynasty, ruling from 1751 to 1779. He ruled all of Iran (Persia) except for Khorasan. He also ruled over some of the Cau ...
, the founder of
Zand Dynasty
The Zand dynasty ( fa, سلسله زندیه, ') was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later quickly came to expand to include much of the rest o ...
. Shiraz was the seat of Karim Khan's government and he endowed many buildings, including this mosque.
Specifications
Vakil Mosque covers an area of 8,660 square meters. It has only two
iwan
An iwan ( fa, ایوان , ar, إيوان , also spelled ivan) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...
s instead of the usual four, on the northern and southern sides of a large open court. The iwans and court are decorated with typical Shirazi ''haft rangi'' tiles, a characteristic feature of the art and industry of Shiraz during the latter half of the 18th century. Its night prayer hall (Shabestan), with an area of approximately 2,700 square meters, contains 48 monolithic pillars carved in spirals, each with a capital of
acanthus leaves. The
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
in this hall is cut from a solid piece of green marble with a flight of 14 steps and is considered to be one of the master pieces of the Zand period. The exuberant floral decorative tiles largely date from the Qajar period.
Gallery
Image:Entrée_masjed-e-vakil_shiraz.jpg, Entrance door
Image:Vakil_mosque.jpg, Entrance door ceiling
Image:Vakil_Entrance.jpg, Facade of entrance arcade
File:Vakil mosque Panorama.jpg, Shabestan (prayer hall)
Image:Shiraz_Vakil_mosque_columns.jpg, Shabestan pillars
Image:Vakil Mosque Shabestan.jpg, Shabestan ceiling tile work
Image:Shiraz_Vakil_mosque_courtyard_view.jpg, View of northern Iwan from prayer hall
Image:Vakil Mosque 03.jpg, One of the minarets
Image:Vakil Mosque 04.jpg, Details of northern Iwan
Image:Vakil_Iwan.jpg, Ceiling of the northern Iwan
Image:Vakil Mosque 08.jpg, Flight of steps leading to minbar
See also
*
List of Mosques in Iran
In 2015 it was estimated, as per official statistics, that there are 47,291 Shiite mosques and 10,344 Sunni mosques in Iran.
List of mosques in Iran
This is a list of mosques in Iran.
Ardabil Province
* Jome mosque
* Jameh Mosque of Germ ...
References
External links
360 Panoramic Image of Vakil MosqueVakil Mosque Pictures3D Vakil Mosque : Monshizadeh
{{Fars Province
Mosques in Shiraz
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1773