Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

About this place

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque stands on the east side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, a masterpiece of Safavid Iranian architecture on the UNESCO list with the square. It is smaller than the neighbouring Shah Mosque, yet many consider it the more beautiful. Its dome is a creamy colour that changes with the light, unlike the usual blue domes. Building began about 1602 or 1603 and ended in 1618 or 1619, designed by the chief architect Muhammad Reza under Shah Abbas the Great. It stood out among the projects on the square for its location, scale and ornament. It was restored in the 1920s on the advice of the scholar Arthur Upham Pope, during the reign of Reza Shah. You enter by a blue gateway, then follow a dark turning passage into the square hall beneath the dome. The mosque has no courtyard or minarets. In the dome, patterns shrink towards the top, and light from small openings draws a shape like a peacock's tail at the centre at certain hours. So wait a while to see the light change. It is about 100 m from the middle of the square and about 300 m from the Shah Mosque. Dress modestly, and women should cover their hair. The space is small and fills quickly, so it is best to go early. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Iran and warns that British nationals risk detention, so check official guidance before making any plans. We could not confirm the current state of this site.