Blog 11: Esfahan Palaces, Churches, Mosques and Shrines

Blog 11:  Esfahan ~ Palaces, Churches,  Mosques & Shrines

Armenian Church and Museum

Armenian Church

The Armenian quarter is the oldest section of Esfahan. In 1603 the Shah ordered resettlement of Armenian families who were allowed freedom of worship.  In 1915 the Turkish Ottoman government exterminated one and half million Armenians or deported them to Syria, Lebanon or Iran. The current Turkish government denies their involvement in this atrocity. My guidebook tells me that the Armenian community in Esfahan has shrunk from around 100,000 in the 1960’s to around 7,000 at the present time. While Amin tells me there is a high degree of religious tolerance in Esfahan and that the Christians, Muslims and Jews live together without conflict, I wonder why the Armenian numbers have dropped so markedly. 

The beautiful Armenian Christian church we view has bright colored panels retelling the tortures faced by early Armenian Christians. It is a mixture of Christian and Islamic architecture.  Nearby is a museum that shows graphic pictures of the Armenian genocide and it is heartbreaking for all of us. With such pictures and documented evidence how could the Turkish government not apologize?

Paintings in Armenian Church 

Chehel Sotun 40 Column Palace 

Back just west of the enormous public square we visit the 40 Column Palace that takes its name from the reflection of the 20 columns in the pond in front of the main door. Unfortunately the pond was empty when we viewed it. 

Roof of 40 Column Palace 

Inside 40 Column Palace

We view a 17^th century painting of an old man who died while his much younger wife is forced to kill herself. The picture shows her being given opium to drink and then required to walk into a burning fire. 

Amin tells us that 40 is a holy number because 40 days after someone’s death there is another funeral or remembrance. He reminds us of Ali Babi and the 40 thieves and tells us a story of a king who killed or blinded his children so they wouldn’t kill him (1722). With one remaining child this King fed him opium so he would be a passive and calm ruler. I am not sure I understand the moral message of this story or why Amin is telling us this.  I wonder when they enacted a law to prevent child abuse?  We view a 17^th century painting of an old man who died while his much younger wife is forced to kill herself. The picture shows her being given opium to drink and then required to commit suicide by walking into a burning fire.

Close Up of Picture Below Center

In a small and beautiful section of this place we see paintings of semi-nude women with lovers, dancing and drinking wine, which was forbidden in public but painted to reflect an interior life. Notice the picture of the naked chest in picture below.  

Bare-chested woman

Many of these paintings were covered with plaster by the Qjar dynasty but were later found and have had the plaster removed.

Removing plaster to reveal amazing paintings

Interesting that 1700 years ago the idea of painting was introduced by the Chinese so that many early paintings show Chinese eyes rather than Iranian eyes. By the late 18^th century these paintings no longer had Chinese eyes.

Before going to the mosques we pause for a tea break in a wonderful tea house next to the garden. John loves all the carpets everywhere and thinks about putting them on our couches and walls at home.

Esfahan’s Maydan-e Imam’s Two Mosques    

We return to the enormous Imam Square and this time not for the bazaar but to visit two mosques. The Mashed-e Sheykh Lotfallah was a private mosque, therefore has no minarets and is thought to have been a mosque for the women of the royal harem.  The construction of this amazing ceramic tile work and dome utilizing natural dyes began in 1600 and took one man and a couple of workers 18 years to complete. How patient people seem to have been at that time compared to today where speed seems to take precedence over beauty.    

The blue calligraphy on the tiles is the holy version of the Koran. Robert Byron wrote a poem about the splendor of this mosque comparing it to Versailles and St. Peters. 

While it is rare to find a signature on such tile work our guide points out the signature of this artist. Apparently recognition of copyright has been a longterm issue.

Grand Mosque or Masjed-e Imam 

Grande Mosque Entrance

We continue to walk through the public square to what Amin calls the Grand Mosque, built by Shah Abbas in 1612 for the prior Shah.  Amin says it is the most completely designed mosque in Iran. Because the Shah was impatient about the progress being made he demanded that faster progress be made of the mosaic tile work used for the main entrance. 


So we see one side of the entrance has intricate and individually placed mosaic tile designs while the other side uses the timesaving under glazed, painted tiles. So I guess some people of the 17^th century were less patient. 

Walking around the mosque we see the most amazing range of colors, patterns and styles of tile work I have ever seen on all four walls as well as the vault and dome. There is a gap between the outer and inner dome resulting in a sound echo when standing in the center floor.  

Grand Mosque Dome 

This mosque has managed to survive several major earthquakes because of the wooden pieces put between bricks and a layer of lead added to the columns to absorb shakes.  Finally Amin shows us an atypical Islamic set of tiles, which have animal and bird paintings, and tree of life not shown on any of the other tiles. 

Amin believes this different style indicates the Armenian influence although this has not been documented.  I think this mosque is the most amazing mosque I have ever seen. 

John tells Amin he wants to see as many mosques as possible as he loves them. I am hoping he is developing a new addiction from carpets... but perhaps he wants to take his carpets to sit on  these in mosques.

Mashed-e Jame Ancient Mosque

Now I find I am wrong about assessing mosque beauty in terms of the façade and glitz of the colored tiles. In the next mosque I discover the real beauty is all about the brickwork. On our last day in Esfahan we go back to the Armenian district to visit the UNESCO-listed Masjed-e Jame, Ancient Mosque. It is said to be the oldest mosque in Iran, dating back to the 10^th century where a small Arab style mosque was first built on the remains of a Zoroastrian fire temple.  We enter a huge domed chamber that is entirely built of brickwork including the pillars and dome. Amin explains how the 4-sided square walls are made into corners that support a dome.  

How dome is supported

I find this plain, subtly colored brickwork even more amazing than the mosaic tiled mosque we saw the day before. As we pass through these brick vaults we come to a room that has one door surrounded with tiles and are told that the tile work began with the reconstruction of the mosque 3 centuries later.  

The tiles were actually put on top of the bricks and I believe Amin called this “masoncopic”. 

Eventually we arrive at the large courtyard that is a visual combination of bricks and tiles (called moaghali). I find this to be more beautiful than the  Grand Mosque courtyard of solid tiles.  

Finally we walk into a sofeh (sitting area) and view plaster cartouches and decorations on the walls that are entirely made of stucco that were intricately designed. 

Amin says, “the masterpiece of all time in terms of stucco.” He explains how they figured out that adding grape juice to jipson delays the hardening process and allows the artist to do the intricate designs. 

After viewing this mosque we walk down a lovely authentic looking road and end up at a shrine, Harun-e Vilayet built in 1513.

At the entrance we see two huge ceramic tiled murals of the faces of Khomeini and the present spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.  

Another tiled mural is of two men who lost their lives in a bomb attack on the Tehran headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Party. 

I feel pulled back from the 10^th century into the present world and am sad to have left that feeling of simple beauty and peacefulness.

Large Koran