Fars

Vakil Mosque of Shiraz

Built as part of grand development project in the heart of Shiraz, Karim Khan, the founder of Zand Dynasty, made Vakil Mosque in 18th century.

The mosque is connected to Vakil Bazaar and almost attached to Vakil Bathhouse with a lane in between.

There is a corridor at the entrance that goes to the middle of the main passageway of Vakil Bazaar on the left-hand side so that everyone can find the easiest way to the mosque from different directions.

The entire structure is generously built with large sections and there is a vast courtyard with a fairly long pool in the middle of it.

Around the courtyard, there are two symmetric porticos at the Northern and Southern sides.

The vast courtyard is covered by newly reconstructed stone pieces and the same flooring is extended from all corners to the central pool.

The flat spaces of the yard have added to its greatness and allow the beauty of the tile façade of all sides shine lively.

The entrance portal and the two porticos are decorated with eye-catching and similar Shirazi tiles in seven colors while tree patterns are clearly occupying major parts of these façade tiles.

There is an entrance leading to a roofed columned hall called Shabestan at the Southern portico. Shabestan has 48 monolithic pillars joining one another on top through vaulted brickworks.

The pillar shafts are carved in a spiral way and decorated in form of acanthus leaves at their centers. The ceiling is adorned with plain bricks, except for a Shirazi line that links the southern portico to the Mihrab of the mosque.

Shiraz visitors may spend some quality time in these buildings and enjoy the pleasant taste of Zand architects and their masterpieces.